A Chance Meeting
by Tess 4 5
Summary: A chance meeting. Barbara really only had wanted some spare time, some quality time alone for herself, miles and miles away from London, time to go on some walks, time to sweat a bit, maybe even have a Highland fling (actually, yes, this is an awful pun). But most of all she only had hoped to get a certain man out of her system. It didn't work. Not at all.
1. Up there in northern Scotland

**Author's usual notes and disclaimer:** I don't own any of the original characters nor the original Inspector Lynley Mysteries – they belong to Elizabeth George and the BBC. I have borrowed the characters from the TV-Show and solely own the ideas of _my_ stories and the developments _I've_ let them go through.

Please write a PM if I did something terribly wrong. Thanks!

Please read and review! More thanks!

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 **A/N:** My sister inspired me to write this and to write this in first-person perspective. I've also played with the perspectives so this is partly HER tale and sometimes HIS tale about what had happened.

 **Warning!** This story definitely is **M-rated**. You should not read it if you aren't prepared for reading about things going on between lovers (and such). **This is a serious warning. If you don't like that stuff then don't read it. If you read it anyway don't blame me!** I know there are still some who like reading a little smutty stuff, including me. Apparently I also like writing it.

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 **A/additional N:** YOU forced me to already post this. YOU are to blame if I change details later. YOU are to blame that this only has about 1600 words. And YOU know who YOU are! Enjoy it ;-)

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 **Summary:** A chance meeting. Barbara really only had wanted some spare time, some quality time alone for herself, miles and miles away from London, time to go on some walks, time to sweat a bit, maybe even have a Highland fling (actually, yes, this is an awful pun). But most of all she only had hoped to get a certain man out of her system. It didn't work. Not at all.

Enjoy...

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 **A Chance Meeting**

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I had needed some time away from my boss. After years of working together I finally had realised that I was deeply in love with him and could not help it or deny it or fight against it. It was not only his education, his nonchalance he was walking around with wherever he appeared and what had annoyed me at first. In the meantime I had come to the point where I finally wanted him neck and crop, body and mind - in one word: completely. The latest case we had worked at together, and worked together so physically close, was a torture for me and my self-control so I had asked for a few days off. Those days granted, I had booked a long weekend at a fitness hotel on the farthermost spot I could find. Brora, Scotland, was 624 miles away from London, and even 130 miles farther away from Nanrunnel where I knew DI Lynley, my upper-class, rich, handsome, sexy and unreachable boss.

It was early afternoon when I arrived. It had been a long trip since the plane only flew me to Inverness, which was an adventurous trip anyway in a tiny tin box with propellers. The last miles I had to take the train, with multiple changes of trains, which was not much fun either so now I was a bit exhausted. I checked into my room, not overly big but the adjoining bathroom was a palace according to the one I had in my flat. It was an unsuspected (and free) upgrade I really appreciated. After dinner I would swim a few rounds in the hotel's pool and pay a short relaxing visit to the sauna. A pint or two at the bar would finish my day. For the next day I planned to run a bit and destress somewhere in the nature. Calm down, clear my head, hopefully get rid of those disturbing feelings, or at least of the image of a certain dark haired man. Later I could indulge in a massage and more rounds in the pool.

But before that, and at that thought I jumped up from the armchair I had sat in to study the leaflet with all the hotel's offers, I had to prepare myself to be presented half naked on the massage table or even naked like in the sauna. Marks and Sparks had provided me with a new swimsuit but before wearing it I had to shave some certain areas. A long shower or a hot bath after the trip from London up here would do me good too. Looking at it I decided on taking a hot bath in this shameless big tub. The only but most difficult question was which one of the offered fragrances I should add to the water.

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This woman would never leave my head I thought. For years we've been together almost 24/7 and I had fallen for her. She never would return my feelings nor would she consider an affair. She would just go on seeing me as a friend, or so I hoped, and the posh Prince Poncy of the Met. Before we had closed the files to this annoying case, that brought me so physically close to her that it almost was hurting, and before I had been gone on a two week holiday on my estate in Cornwall I had come to the point where I thought she probably would either laugh at me if I would have told her of my feelings or slap me in the face. I did not want to risk any of it. I also did not want to risk that deep friendship we shared apart from my inappropriate feelings for her. I believe I always have been an ignorant fool when it came to matters of love so I did not think it could be mutual this time, so I kept my mouth shut, so I did not even invite her to Howenstow like I used to, and so I did not even ask her out for a pint feigning to be in a hurry. I only had signed the papers granting her the requested days off and disappeared.

As if Mother had wanted to get rid of me again soon I've been in Cornwall only for three days until I've had to travel north. The cute foal her mare had given birth while I was there would be a pleasure to watch in its first days but mother had introduced me to one of her friends whose friend was running a hotel somewhere in Scotland and wished to offer his guests the possibility to go horse-riding. So he had wanted to buy some horses, if not from our business then at least he would glorify his hotel with the presence of an English Earl and the mentioning of my name in his leaflets. The travel up there was enjoyable. I had called in a favour from Wing Commander Matthews, RAF, who flew me to Inverness in his private Cessna and from there Mr McGuire, the hotel owner, picked me up and brought me to his hotel in a helicopter. I literally heard a snorting retort by my beloved Sergeant Havers about this unnecessary waste of money.

Two nights I had stayed there and indulged in multiple massages and applications, the sauna and the pool, before McGuire approached me and asked for a meeting in the luxuriously comfortable chairs in the hotel's lounge. He obviously had wanted to be seen being in a leisure business meeting with me after making sure everybody around had come to know that I am the Earl of Asherton. It had been "your Lordship" here and "Lord Asherton" there and it had been close to insulting how the staff members had pampered their Lord Asherton. "Ah, the Earl of Asherton. Good afternoon. Do sit down, your Lordship!" were the words McGuire greeted me with when I came down the stairs.

I did not think this hotel needed horses anyway. It was too rural and, speaking frankly, it was not really an upper class accommodation. Not that it was cheap or lousy, it deserved its stars and it was lovely, clean and well-provided with everything. It was just not a location where the guests would expect to go horse-riding. With that in my mind the conversation went like chewing on an old piece of bread so it was no wonder that my mind was elsewhere and my eyes travelled around in the room and finally to the reception where a woman was just checking in. In that slightly worn out parka and the heavy boots, perfect for walking Scottish moors, she reminded me of Barbara. Oh, how I would have loved to have her around, unresolved feelings or not, but her presence and her witty remarks would have made me more grounded after all those extra treatments I had endured, and she would make me fundamentally happy. My heart almost stopped when she turned and I realised she actually _was_ my beloved Sergeant. How could this be? She was not supposed to be here, of all places. Did she know I was here? Did she just come here to be as far away from London as possible? Was it all just a lucky coincidence or did she talk with mother? Whatever brought her here she vanished from my vision without seeing me but she did not leave my mind from then on. I was about to jump up and follow her but unfortunately I was stuck with that hotel owner.

Somehow, I really could not remember much of the following conversation, we agreed on a testing year. I would help him establish some contacts with a horse business up here that I know and left the option open to buy one or two horses of my breed down there in Cornwall. This settled I almost rushed to the reception, showed my best Lordship smile and addressed the poor receptionist.

"Hello, Miss... Tennant... Say, this woman who had checked in a few moments ago, I think I know her, wasn't it Miss Barbara Havers?"

"Oh, yes, she is." the young woman replied. "Just checked in for a long weekend."

"That's funny." I casually said and leisurely leaned against the counter. The easy outside was no mirror to my churning inside. Continuing the thoughts during the meeting with McGuire my mind already went into the sauna with Barbara. "She's an old friend of mine, you know, and I hadn't expected seeing her here at all."

"What a lucky coincidence." Miss Tennant politely smiled in reply. I've read enough people in my life to be able to see that she would have liked to go on with her work instead of chatting with me but she was almost perfect in hiding it. She received one of my best disarming smiles.

"Couldn't you tell me which room she's in so I can surprise her?" After a short dramatic pause in which I pretended to wait for an answer I hastily added that I'm sorry to be asking since this probably was information she was not allowed to tell me. With an uncertain look at the manager who had appeared in the corner of my eye vision and almost invisibly nodded she told me of course. Ah, the blessings of being the pampered Earl.

Thanking her I turned. It was hard for me to not just run up the stairs and meet Barbara. I busied myself with something else before I pretended to look at my watch and turned to the elevator. How would Barbara react? She hopefully would not be angry that I was there too but before I could think twice I already had knocked at the door to room number 28. It was too late to turn.

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 **A/N:** It will be a while until I post the next chapter. Thanks in advance for your reviews!


	2. Shaving, or

**A/N:** Thanks to _Forthe loveofcamelot13_ who wrote in the review that the RAF doesn't have _Majors_. - who would have known. Now I do and have changed that detail into _Wing Commander_.

Thanks for all other reviews too.

Oh, and believe me, this story **is** M-rated for reasons but don't expect that I announce the M-rated chapters...

Anyway, the second chapter was finished quicker than I had thought. Enjoy...

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 **Shaving, or...**

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My choice was dark pink. It said _Real Relaxation_ on its label and there were poppy seeds and cannabis in it and I really was asking myself if this still was legal. Since they offered it here, it probably was and so I really relaxed in the steamy hot water for about fifteen minutes before I let some of the water bleed off the tub. Of course I chuckled about that pun seeing how deeply red the water had turned with the additive. Humming a random melody I shaved my armpits and my legs. My mind wandered to the restaurant and hoped for a good dinner later. After the trip up here with only two sandwiches and a bag of crisps I was quite starving. Carefully I also shaved my bikini zone. With hands and shaver already down there I said to myself that I also could do with a shave on much more private parts though nobody but me would care anyway if I was blank down south. For years nobody but me had laid hands on it, let alone more, but maybe I can loosen up a bit (forget my usual hostile behaviour that is) and find myself a meaningless fling for the weekend - condoms were in my bag anyway. Or I could just do what I had done all the other times. My lady shaver was cleaned and put away with an aimed throw into my washbag on the low cabinet on the other side of the room.

I lay back into the tub and closed my eyes. _Hello hand, nice to meet you here._

For a while I just covered my now blank centre with my warm hand and brought my mind into the mood. It always started with my mind building up the image of my boss. Tommy - I always thought of him as Tommy and not Mr Lynley of course, all the more when I was blessing myself. Tommy in his usual working suit, grinning boyish, laughing with me. Then Tommy more relaxed in jeans and tight t-shirt, this time with wind ruffling his hair and the stunning sea view in the background I already had seen when I had arrived here. It never was difficult to put my memories in some order and some nonsense storyline of pictures, there were too much of him on my mind. I once had seen him with a bare chest chopping wood behind the stables of Howenstow. I can still remember that he had not seen me standing in the shadow watching trickles of sweat rolling down his sun burnt torso thinking about things I would have loved to do with him in that moment.

My hand started to move around on my legs and in the bikini zone almost on its own will. Keeping my eyes shut Tommy became more naked in my imagination. He had been very close to me with nothing on but a towel when we met in a caravan so I could smell his shower gel and aftershave. I had kept this memory and pulled it out from time to time. The remembered musky scent always pushed my mind to the one time I had seen his sweet naked bottom cheeks through the not too fogged shower door when I had invaded his room. The middle finger of my right hand sucked through my already wet folds and it sent shivers through my legs so I slid deeper into the remnants of the water and bent my legs. One foot was propped on the rim and the other leg leisurely leaned against the side wall of the tub.

With Tommy's buttocks in my head and the imagination how it would feel to dug my fingers in them fantasy started to exchange my fingers with some part of him. He would have lifted me onto his desk- Oh, no, don't start thinking about that or you never would be able to sit there!

He would have lifted me onto the drawer in his bedroom, where I had never been, and knelt between my opened legs. I felt the joy building up in my abdomen when I blessed myself with a bit more pressure of my fingers and the knuckle of my thumb on my clit. My left hand that had wandered tickling across my belly and softly had kneaded my breasts until then now involuntarily grabbed into the junction of my leg and my torso. The vivid memory of my naughty thoughts, which did not fit to the situation once when we just had escaped a burning house with exploding gas tanks, filled my brain. He had lain on me as a shelter and all I could think of was his crotch pressing into my lap.

Tommy would have lifted me and carried me to his bed where he would have buried me under his strong and naked body and pressed his arousal onto mine. I applied even more pressure on my pink nub and the meanwhile swollen folds to mirror my thoughts and was aware that my breathing had become harder. His nose had been in my face and I could feel him breathing as hard as I was now. It had been a torture not to feel his lips on my skin but just to have them so close to mine. I pictured a needy kiss and bit my lips just at the mere thought of Tommy moaning into my open mouth. A buzzing feeling spread across my upper thighs.

Sometimes visions could be so vivid that you do not need much more to lift your mood. I was close. All I had to do was enter myself and there would be no stopping for now. Tommy should have been on top of me again. His arms should have been around me like they were once during a case when my face was buried into his chest and his arms were around me and we were hiding in a corner somewhere pretending to be a snogging couple. My mind had gone into the gutter then like it had now, thinking about being shagged against the cool bricks and fucked up the wall by Tommy. My hips automatically had started to move against the rhythm of my hand. The water around me splashed and waves crashed around me giving an audible background to the movie in my head. I whispered a "Yes!" when I had found an acceptable cadence of hip, hands and the first contractions inside.

Then I heard a knock and faintly knew there was somebody at my door but actually I could not care less in that moment. Admittedly the bathroom door still was open into my room but I knew that usually I was a quiet or even silent comer so I did not stop plunging my gentle fingers into my wet centre, the whole hand softly gliding through my folds and pressing onto my clit, rubbing it into pleasure. The other supportive hand grabbed hard at the rim of the tub when I felt that I was on the final brink. My pleasurable hand increased the pace once more and my thumb returned fully onto the pink button. Next to my heavy breathing small squishy sounds could be heard. It was not just the water splashing in the tub.

"Barbara!?"

Hearing a male voice that sounded just like Tommy's calling my name finally hit my core and I cramped around my fingers unable to hold back the unusually loud moan that escaped my lungs when a sudden orgasm washed over me. Arching and pressing my foot against the tub during my climax caused something like a creaky bang to be heard in the bathroom.

And obviously to be heard outside my room.

"Barbara? It's me - Tommy. Is everything okay?"

Oh, for heaven's sake, he could not possibly be here in Scotland. I thought I must be fantasizing while I still was calming down. I tried to wash my dirty thoughts away with images of heather fields on rolling hills. In fact it did not work - I started to see Tommy there making love to me on a blanket under open sky.

"Barbara?" He knocked again.

"Tommy! Hi!" I only could squeal feeling another short wave building up inside my abdomen. Being shocked that I called him by his given name only added to it. Tommy's real voice was far better than my imagination and it even did not matter that he knew nothing about what was going on here. So fortunately he did not know why I answered with such a vehement "Yes!" to his repeated question if everything was fine. Everything was more than just fine and biting my fist I had to stifle a groan when I came a second time hearing his concerned plea to let him in.

Oh, yes, I absolutely would have loved to let him in. Deeply so.

An incoherent mumble would obscure my excitation. When I finally had regained more breath and could trust my voice I dared to answer with a part of the truth.

"Everything's fine, Sir. I'm, umm... can't open the door at the moment. I'm in the tub." I nervously laughed. "See you in the foyer in... err... twenty minutes?"

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	3. An Invitation

**A/N:** I told you I haven't finished this story yet so the chapters will be posted with long delays. Like this one.

Anyway, enjoy...

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 **An Invitation**

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 _Well..._ I thought wandering down the corridor. _...that was strange._ When I had listened to the sounds coming from her room I had not been able to tell what had happened inside. It only had sounded extraordinarily strange and not at all like splashing in the tub. Well, not _only_ like splashing, more like she was slipping and falling although she did not sound hurt at all. The pained tone in her voice hinted at something more than a bath but I was sure there was an easy explanation to it; easy but probably as strange as Barbara Havers always had been to me. I snickered on my way downstairs. And then I stopped. An unwanted thought had crossed my mind.

Maybe she had not been alone in there. Her voice actually had sounded a bit strained; a bit as if she was suppressing a laugh or... a groan? And I still could not decrypt what she had muttered to me. If she had said it to _me, that is. Maybe she had said it to someone else in there. The thought that I should not have knocked at all came back to my mind while I impatiently waited for the twenty minutes to pass. The hotel's magazines were not that interesting._

Then Barbara came down the stairs and my thoughts were washed away. This time she was in pale brown slacks and a slightly oversized dark green blouse. It was more female than the old parka and her jeans and boots in which I had seen her when she had checked in. In fact and despite the oversize it was more female than every other clothing I had seen her with. Nonetheless a brief thought crossed my mind that the next time she would want to buy new clothes I would try to convince her of going to a store with outfit aides who know which size they would suggest her to wear.

Seeing Barbara reaching the bottom of the stairs I almost jumped up and finally gave up suppressing my happy grin. Yes, I was entirely happy to see Barbara here and I wanted her to see it and I did not care that the bloody receptionist had a very sneaky eye on my Sergeant realising I obviously had waited here for her.

"Hello Barbara!" She took my offered hand and I almost pulled her in an embrace. "I'm so happy to see you here!"

Her answer was a bit reluctant but she seemed genuinely happy too, somehow, carefully hidden behind her usual defensive barrier. Still concerned that something unpleasant for her could have happened behind that closed door to her room I had to ask her if she really enjoyed her bath. "To be honest, you sounded a bit stressed..."

And that was a bit euphemistic.

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 _He had felt I had sounded a bit stressed? Haha,_ I thought. _I was so_ de- _stressed, you wouldn't believe it._

"Oh, I just..." Heat crept up my face when I realised that I could not possibly tell him that I had masturbated with his image on my mind. And he still kept holding my hand that had been holding _me_ half an hour ago. His thumb was caressing the back of it and his happy eyes made me nervous. _Will you stop it, please? Oh, thank you!_ Tommy gestured to sit down in a more private corner in the foyer but he still waited for an answer.

"Well, I shav-" No, no, no, I could not say that either. I quickly harrumphed to overplay what I had been about to say. "I showered. Actually I took a _bath_ , and I hadn't closed the door to the bedroom so when you knocked and called, apart from the fact that I hadn't expected _you_ at all, it sounded as if you were in the next room. I really was a bit shocked to hear your voice, Sir. So I jerked and had some sort of mishap."

And that even was not a total lie. His eyes watched me close and all I could hope was that he shifted the blame for my deep red face onto simple embarrassment that he had caught me - somehow - naked. I hastened to add that it was nothing serious.

Of course I was a bad liar or Tommy simply knew me too well that he did not eat it completely. "Ah, you... _showered_..." he said reluctantly. I swallowed but fortunately he left it at that and only gave me his raised eyebrow with a sweet smile saying that he knew that there was more and he would find it out sometime. Conspiratorial he bent over and winked.

"By the way, Havers, you should keep calling me Tommy!"

 _Oh, hell, yes, I should!_ I fervently thought. I was very aware of the fact that my eyes grew wide and my cheeks turned pink and I thanked nature that we still cannot read brains so Tommy could not know that I was thinking of him under the shower with me or any other naughty chance for me to groan his name, but I averted my eyes anyway - just in case. Maybe he really knew me too well. I actually should not have come down here immediately after blessing myself! The lingering feeling was too fresh and somehow not totally gone.

"I would appreciate that." Tommy beamed such a tender smile at me that I thought I would swoon. Good that I was already sitting. How does he always know how to make my knees weak?

Lucky for me there were no more questions about that bath incident. Tommy just told me the reason why he was here and that there was another meeting he had to attend but he would be very pleased to meet again for dinner. I learned that my boss was here for the weekend to make arrangements concerning his horse business but that he had told himself to have a relaxing weekend too since he already was up here in this Scottish Spa.

Now that I knew the reason for my stress was around here, I hoped that my own weekend would still be as relaxing as I had planned. I only should have declined his invitation for dinner. I could not, of course. In fact my traitorous mind already started to plan things we could do together afterwards.

The prospect of a meaningless Highland fling already had vanished in Scottish mist.

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Oh, I was so happy that she had positively answered my invitation for an early dinner tonight. I knew she would want to try out as most offers by the hotel as possible for the short time she was here so we had arranged to meet at six thirty so she would have a lot of time afterwards to enjoy some spa things. Until then I had another meeting with the friend of a friend's cousin's brother, or whatever my mother had told me about him. He was a horse breeder up here in Scotland and a potential business partner for McGuire or for our own stable of course, but right at the moment my thoughts only half-heartedly were on the family's horse business affairs for which I originally had come here.

In fact this business thing really annoyed me. Sure, meanwhile I knew how to handle my status as an Earl and those who reduced me to that or tried to bath in the sun that obviously shone around my peerage being. Somehow they think it's something they could have part in if they just lick my boots until they shine like gold. As if they ever would want my real life. Ah, well, at least there was one person who had learned to look behind my stiff upper mask and saw an ordinary man, Mr Lynley, who also just happened to be the 8th Earl of Asherton. And she was going to have dinner with me tonight. How wonderful this trip had become in the end. How wonderful it would even turn when she would see the other man in me, Tommy, the man - no title, no rank, no obligations, no money, just the bare me.

"Lord Asherton, good evening!" the hotel owner almost purred when he came around by chance. Yes, sure, by chance...

"Hello, Mr McGuire. What a pleasure. Do sit down and join us." _The sooner you both agree in your funny game the sooner I'm off here._

When both men finally had let me off their claws, I almost rushed up to my room to have a quick shower and get the best out of my old ragged body. Like a juvenile lover I looked forward to this simple dinner with Barbara so I almost jumped under the refreshing spray. Later I decided to get rid of my afternoon shadow. Although you should not get too distracted shaving was a good way to let your mind wander and my mind wandered to Barbara. In fact it never had left her.

I was sure I've heard her saying something like 'shave' before she turned her words into 'shower' and it still bothered me. Well, women actually _do_ shave and mostly it's done in the shower or in the bath and they do so especially when there was the chance to be seen in swim suits. Barbara probably would want to go for a few rounds here but I hardly could imagine her in a swimsuit.

Pondering over her usual clothing I realised that I already had imagined her in a swimsuit one or the other time. I also had imagined her naked I had to admit to myself. And it definitely was alluring to picture her taking a bath. Lying there in the tub with not too much foam, one leg lifted onto the rim, her hair dripping wet, her hand smoothly gliding a pink shaver across her shin, maybe then laying back and dipping the shaver under water to reach her bikini zone... Or even... I could not prevent my thoughts from diving to more secret parts which made me feel a pleasurable twitch in my abdomen. The reflection in the mirror was blushing and at the same time smiling a naughty grin.

 _Oh, behave! It's Barbara Havers you're thinking of!_

Oh, for heaven's sake, _yes_! I can't get her out of my mind, out of my system, out of my life. I'm not only in love with her sarcasm, her aversions and the unbelievably tender kindness she sometimes carried around. I'm not only in love with her strength, she never would dare to recognise, not only with her undying faith, her sometimes painful honesty or her trust in me. Or her sweetness she mostly hides behind a wall of grumpiness. This made me sigh. Barbara was all this and so much more. She was in fact a beautiful woman, hidden under layers of unfitting clothes which I sometimes wanted to get off from her, even more so after our latest case. Honestly, I also sometimes imagined her in most indecent ways. _But not now, Lynley!_ I tried to pull me back to here and now. There was a dinner ahead and I should not meet her with those naughty things running around in my filthy mind. I shook my head at the reflection in the mirror above the sink and continued shaving my face.

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	4. Dinner and Date

**A/N:** Probably I won't post another chapter before Christmas so I already wish you a happy one (or whatever you do or don't celebrate these days) and a wonderful New Year!

But now, first, enjoy...

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 **Dinner and Date**

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Tommy and I did not meet very late because earlier I had told him that I would like to check on a few sporty offers at the hotel. I had made it quite clear that I was going to check them alone so being the gentleman that he was he had had sensed it and had not asked to join me. Although I could have kicked my ass some time later. It had been stupid because in reality I would _not_ mind _at all_ sharing my time with him. In reality I would actually love to spend my time with him. In reality I would even love to share the sauna with him. After all he had had a business meeting so like me he could do with some relaxation later. A bit of a nicely satisfying exhaustion had already started to fill my body after the trip up here, the things I had done in the tub earlier and the short walk in rainy and windy weather around the town and on the tiny beach. I had collected some small colourful stones, something I always did when I was away on some holiday (which had not happen often which meant that a still very small collection filled a too big glass bowl at home).

Anyway, I had to get that thought of a shared sauna off my head before I would go down to the restaurant so I busied myself with choosing what to wear. The slacks and the blouse I had on earlier would do, wouldn't it? It was not that I had wanted to seduce Tommy so my other new top would stay where it was. Or should I? I changed clothes back and forth but in the end it was the ensemble he already had seen me in.

Coming down the stairs I saw some men and women in strange clothes disappearing in the ball room. Tommy grinned broadly at my confused expression.

"Hello Barbara."

"What the heck is going on in there?" I asked him after he had kissed the back of my hand. Some of those people were jingling because they actually had small bells at their shins, some others had their arms full of swords. Those people looked too crazy and through the hotel's entrance there came more people in kilts and over there in the lounge sat a few with ridiculously feathered top hats.

Wait, what?! Had he just kissed my hand?! I looked up to Tommy with wide shocked eyes. He only smiled and let go of my hand while we walked towards the restaurant.

"There's a meeting of dancers. Some annual gathering, I suppose." And he explained to me the origin of some folk dances. The soft touch of his lips still was burning on my skin so I was not at all able to listen to his words.

Although I had feared an awkward dinner after this, it went by very smooth.

During the main course I told him about my exhausting travel up here with the small plane and the jammed train which had its delays as expected. Tommy's expression was an understanding smile although I did not dare to ask how he came here. I imagined him being brought here by a private chauffeur or even more luxurious. When I finished my story with the adventure of getting a cab at Brora station he laughed and winked calling it the "posh way". My answer was not lacking of sarcasm. A taxi is all but posh! It encouraged him to tell me a bit of the previous boring meetings and again the reason why he was up here in Scotland.

The meal was so delicious that I had no difficulties listening to his story why he would have preferred to not be here but at Howenstow where the little black stallion, the new foal of his mother's mare, was keeping everybody in activity and admiration. I enjoyed listening to him talking enthusiastically about the first days of Dark Light. My lately stressed DI was rattling away totally relaxed and with delight shining in his eyes he described the beauty of the small horse and his joyful and curious steps in the paddocks. His eyes twinkled and his lips smiled and his voice was buzzing low with excitement.

And I almost dissolved into a puddle of fondness.

As usual I finished my plate first while he still was talking so I propped my chin on my hand and almost lost myself in thoughts while Tommy still talked. A few thrown in hums and nods were all he needed to not stop it. If it was up to me I would have listened the entire evening but eventually the waiter brought the dessert so the monologue finally changed into a companionable conversation about this and that and nothing special. Only later I recognised that we had picked from the other's bowl without asking or being offended. We had such an easy dinner that I almost was sad that it ended.

Although it ended with a date for the next evening.

"Fancy dinner with me again? Tomorrow at about the same time?" he asked me when we parted in front of the lift (I was going to take the safer stairs because my imagination already had run to a cuddly kiss in there). Tommy shook my hand but held it inappropriately longer than usual so I was fighting against the urge to pull at his arm and see if he would reject a peck on the cheek. Suddenly my ability to speak was gone but my nodded approval made him grin from one ear to the other and I already was asking myself what I should wear and how on earth I could waste the time until then. My silly brain already ignored the fact that I originally had travelled up north in order to get him out of my mind and not to be dating him here but quickly Tommy destroyed my secret hopes to "accidentally" meet him somewhere around with the polite reassurance that of course he would not want to disturb my holidays too much.

"So I try to avoid joining the same activities that you're going to enjoy."

I really did not know where it had come from and I am deeply ashamed to admit that my mind went straight into the gutter wishing that he actually could join me wherever he wanted.

* * *

 **...**

* * *

Barbara and I met early for our dinner together. When she came down the stairs she briefly was so distracted that she even had not recognised that I bravely had given her a kiss on the hand. She was too sweet when she finally recognised it. I was quite shocked by myself although I rather would have pulled her into a hug.

Soliloquising about those dancers meeting in the ball room I guided her to the restaurant and continued rambling about everything that came to my mind during our simple but wonderful dinner. Barbara seemed to feel comfortable with just listening. When I told her about Dark Light she even seemed to be very interested. I should bring her to our stables one day soon, I thought while I picked some sliced carrots from her salad - I knew she did not like them cold but she stole some chips as a reward from my plate anyway. Only later I recognised what a consent act it was and that we actually did it again with our deserts. Like an old couple we talked about nothing in particular over sticky toffee pudding and caramelised apple trunk on vanilla ice-cream (even the memory is mouth-watering) but enjoyed the conversation nonetheless. Or rather the presence of the other. At least on my behalf I was sure but Barbara looked quite happy too. We ended our wonderful dinner with a date for the next evening. Inwardly I rejoiced but I tried to reassure Barbara that I did not want to disturb her holidays and it was true.

I really had not intended to meet her on purpose while she enjoyed her stay at this hotel although I could very well imagine sharing a private sauna with her. Barbara probably would give me the hardest punch I ever had and ever will receive in my life if I had suggested that.

Fortune sometimes had its own fun creating memorable moments.

After dinner, back up in my suite, I flipped through the offers of the hotel's spa and decided that I could do with a sauna and a massage, maybe some lazy rounds in the pool later on, so I hopped down the stairs to the spa area taking two steps at once. Actually I got carried away a bit by the thought I could spend a few days with Barbara though I knew I should not think of it. At least not in that naughty way I constantly did. Those were _her own_ days off and I probably was the least she had expected to meet in Scotland. Nonetheless the sheer knowledge she was here made my heart jump with joy and me jump down stairs. I had to rein myself before the sneaky Miss Nightporter would see me bouncing.

At the spa I got off my clothes and with just a towel around my hips I strolled to the sauna boxes. Guards in white cotton were having an eye on the premises because some areas were not strictly separated. This hotel really should not think of offering another attraction; it really should improve, upgrade and what was the most important update its existing facilities, especially when it came to these shared sauna areas. Anyway I found it quite amusing that some women were hiding most of their skin here but ran around in displaying evening gowns on other occasions. Of course I knew how to behave so I wasn't ogling (they weren't the woman I wanted and obviously twice my age so that was an easy thing to do) and went into one of the men's saunas. The humid heat was relaxing me deep under the skin for ten minutes before I grabbed my towel I had sat on and prepared to decently show up outside.

Closing the door (with an old brass handle that really needed some care soon) quickly and carefully behind me I turned and had just wanted to go to the ice bath rooms on the other side when I stopped dead in my tracks.

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	5. Fire, Fire

**A/N:** Well, enjoy...

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 **Fire, Fire**

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I had been changing into nothing but one of those luxuriously soft (but slightly too short, I thought) bathrobes downstairs in the sauna world. Some men were running around in nothing but a towel and were a bit too showing off for my liking, if they had the build or not. Mostly not. This hotel, or better this time of the season probably was exclusively for the retired people. And those, like me, who could not afford it during peak season. Most men had white or no hair and were much older than me. Well, most of them were. Right at the moment of my satisfying thought about how young I still was according to them I spotted one still dark haired figure coming from one of the men's saunas. A grin built up in my face. Was this my potential Highland fling? Inconspicuously I slowed my walk. His terrycloth covered bottom really was something to look at and the drops of sweat that had left wet traces on his back disappeared in the dark green towel which sat alluringly low on his waist. I bit my lip thinking about retracing with my tongue one of those sweaty, salty lines across his long and broad back up to his nape where I additionally could leave a soft bite. His shoulders obviously had met the hard bench of a gym for quite a while but not too often and I really did appreciate the view of the small muscles of his arm playing a bit while he was closing the door to one of the men's saunas as if the old rusty doorknob was hard to handle. It would not have surprised me since these premises had seen the prime of life a few years ago.

Still quite in a good shape, although not to be called young anymore. Vaguely visible silver threads in his hair like- I stopped breathing when the alluringly sweaty man had turned to me and stopped dead in his tracks. My grin already had died.

"Sir!" I gasped and added a creaky "Enjoyed the sauna?" Sometimes I could be so witty that it just hurts.

* * *

 **...**

* * *

 _Of all places!_ I thought and cursed the strange arrangement of rooms down here.

"Hello, Barbara!" I managed to say without sounding too excited. Because what else could describe the feeling that suddenly tickled all nerves in my belly. Not only was I happy to meet her here in Scotland, and especially here in the sauna world, but I recognised again what a sexy woman Barbara truly was. I had thought so, even had caught glimpses during some cases or when she had accompanied me to a funfair in Nanrunnel, but now she stood right in front of me and proved it. She was in one of the hotel's bathrobes that ended somewhere in the middle of her thigh and I fought hard to keep my mind from thinking that she probably was naked under the white terrycloth. Of course she was, since she was on her way to the sauna. I had to chuckle when my eyes fell onto her green and yellow thongs with a cute koala head on top. Apparently Barbara knew the reason why I chuckled because she hastily explained that they were a present from the young Australian constable who had been in last year's exchange program with our department.

"Jock sent them for Christmas. That's why they have the fur cap."

"Cute!" I answered and grinned at her hoping she would understand that I had not only meant those thongs but her and the fact that she wore them in public. Her blushing face was an indicator to my success but then I saw a remnant flicker of some sort of longing approval in her eyes when, for a brief moment, she let her eyes rake across my bare naked, still sweaty chest and even, for the blink of an eye, down across my pelvis. I involuntarily straightened my back and almost even had sucked in my belly but that would have meant I would have had to grab the towel around my waist to keep it where it was. That her eyes were back in my face was something I only sensed because mine had slid across her throat to her rosy red blushing cleavage. A filigree silver leaf at a thin silver chain dangled dangerously close to heaving areas where I definitely should not think of nuzzling my nose into.

 _Brilliant!_ Now it was my turn to take on a darker colour.

"I was on my way to the ice-bath." I rasped and quickly turned away. "Enjoy the sauna, it's wonderful!"

* * *

One more minute in front of Barbara and it would have turned awkward for me. Probably for both of us. My mind wandered again where it really should not be wandering to. Seriously, man! This was Barbara I thought of in such indecent ways. But then again, Barbara meanwhile was more than just a friend to me, wasn't she. In the previous weeks I had learned that it was love I felt for her. And seeing her half naked only proved that there also was a huge part of sexual attraction. Something I never would have thought possible a few years ago but so many things had happened during that time, so many things that had bound us together in so many ways, and I was not only referring to our latest case where she-

"You shouldn't stay in there for too long, Sir." Fortunately the guard's voice kept me from freezing in the cooling basin and literally pulled me out of it. A massage would do me good now so I strolled towards the kitschy Asian music.

The firm hands of the masseur lulled me away. The image of Barbara in nothing but a bathrobe came to my inner eye again. Only briefly I told myself once more that I really should not constantly think of my sergeant that way. She was an intelligent detective, a respectable woman, a true and loyal friend. I should be thankful that I may get the opportunity to spend some time with her which keeps me in a better mood than I was in when I first came here and they all started to bootlick me. I hoped to go out for our dinner tomorrow. Maybe I could whisk her away to the nice small restaurant in the harbour.

Maybe we would go for an ice-cream afterwards and have a romantic stroll up the pier. I could place my arms around her shoulders to shield her from the cold wind of the North Sea. Maybe it would rain. I could cuddle with her under an umbrella and maybe steal a kiss. Or two. Or more. I would not at all object if Barbara would start to snog me behind the life-boat station. The zipper of my anorak could be open and she could put her hands around my waist to keep them warm while we kiss. She could even put them under my jumper and maybe she would dare to tickle my skin while she snaked her arms around me. And when I pulled her close to me and pressed her against my front to let her feel _how much_ I wanted her, and when she would appreciate the deep kiss I would give her, I hoped she would dig her fingers into the flesh in my back.

* * *

I breathed a soft moan. The sound I had let go made me realise that it was only the masseur digging her fingers into the flesh of my back. Slowly I woke up from my daydream when she had stopped, pulled the towel back around my buttocks and wiped the oil from her hands. For me it really was an embarrassing moment and I actually did not _want_ to get up in order to spare her the sight of the bulge that had grown big in my lower regions. Awkwardly I tried to get up somehow and caught the understanding smile in her face.

"A not so rare reaction to a massage, Sir." she said and, busy with putting her stuff back into her case, turned her back on me to give me some privacy. "So don't bother. And I know I'm not the origin because my name's not Barbara."

"How...?" How could she know? _Is there something I've missed? Oh, no, have I...?_ I felt heat rising in my face.

"You've whispered her name." Winking she collected her things and wished me an enjoyable evening, leaving me blushed from head to toe. Why is everybody in this hotel so cheeky?

Anyway, I really needed some more of that ice-water.

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	6. Waterproof Watch

**A/N:** I wish you all a Happy New Year. Thanks for reading and commenting my stories. It's always a pleasure. This story probably will continue only in 2016 (ch 7 not yet finished). Until then look at the clock and enjoy... **  
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 **Waterproof Watch**

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I escaped into the warmth of the sauna and was glad that I was alone in there. How could I ogle him like that! I mean, he was my boss! Of course he was the favourite image running around in my head but that was in private. Honestly, I should not drink in his appearance like I had just moments ago although there was something good in it. Smugly I had to grin to myself that I now had a hell of images adding to my already wide range of fantasies but no, he should not have seen me staring at him like that. On the other hand he had stared back. His face had turned slightly pink and that was not when we talked about my silly thongs. In fact he looked quite distracted when he eyed the leaf on my chain, dangling dangerously close to my bosom. Could it possibly be that he was pleased with my half naked appearance? I could only hope.

Oh, no, I should not hope that at all! He would never see more than just a friend in me; a good friend perhaps, or even his best, or look at me with the love he would have for his sister. But in fact there had been something in his eyes that I could not decipher. Hidden desire? Ah, of course not!

When another dash of water was poured over the heated stones I leaned back propping myself onto my elbows on the next higher wooden bench and closed my eyes. A single drop of sweat tickled me on its way between my breasts and made me remember his distracted look onto my cleavage. Despite the warmth in there I got goose pimples and had to grin again. Well, a Highland fling was amongst my personal options for this trip so why not just let it be a Cornish one.

* * *

What happens in Scotland stays in Scotland.

* * *

So why not just let go of my restrictions to 'never fuck the office'. This hotel was all but our office. I could try and seduce him tomorrow at our dinner, maybe convince him to go to the nice small restaurant I had spotted down in the harbour. Then we would have the opportunity to go for a little walk afterwards. Tommy could lay his arm around my shoulder if I came close to him. The weather forecast had spoken of more wind tomorrow so it was a good excuse for walking cuddled close. Later I could indicate to him that I had no objections being kissed senseless against the sheltered back door of the life boat station. Tommy could allow me to warm up my cold hands under his coat and then we would quickly go back to the hotel and I would drag him straight into my room and have my way with him.

My own chuckle roused me from my day dream just in time before the door opened and two elder ladies came in. Their chatter reminded me of my common being and pulled me back down to earth. His Lordship probably would never consider a fling nowadays. Recently he had been quite a gentleman without any spouses at all. Surely he would not start dating or having a flirtatious weekend with _me_. Of all women Tommy surely would not pick _me_ to get back into the game. As far as I would say he was searching for something deeper than a sexy weekend, someone to spend his life with, a woman he could marry and who would give him children. I shook my head. I surely was no marrying material for the 8th Earl of Asherton. It was ridiculous to even think in that direction.

As alluring this thought was I got up and left the sauna before the next round of steam would fill the air or before I crush the women's noses for their annoying gossip. Sugary politely I smiled at them when I left the sauna. Instead of crossing the corridor and dipping into the ice-bath I directly went to put on my swimsuit and headed to the pool. A few rounds in the warmer water should exhaust me enough to have a night of deep sleep. Maybe before going to bed I'll have a last pint at the bar to see who else was here at the hotel. I needed a distraction from my Cornish Lord. It could not be that I was the only one of my age around here.

* * *

Apart from Tommy that is.

Ah, brilliant - he kept staying in my thoughts. I shook my head to get rid of it and dived into the cool water. For minutes I was steadily swimming my rounds before a look at the big clock at the wall told me it was enough and if I wanted a nightcap I should get out and get ready quickly. I climbed the steel ladder and saw a man with dark hair on the edge of my eyesight. Without looking at him I knew it was Tommy and I literally felt his eyes on me so I involuntarily tried to make as good a figure as I was capable of in a swimsuit, bared to his look and marrow-deeply aware of this fact. One could say I was making a show but actually I just tried to behave normal and unaware of him and hoped I would not look too fat. As chance would have it I had to fetch my towel from the ground where it had slid from the bench so I tried hard not to give his eyes access to my big butt. As usual I was all but sure of my body, in fact as less sure as I had ever been, and there was absolutely no way of disappearing in the tiled wall.

Tommy still stood there and watched me when I had to pass him on my way to the changing rooms. I faked a moment of recognition giving him the best surprised smile I could muster. Seeing him standing there again half-naked in tight swim briefs I would have loved to dig my hands into the sparse hair on his chest. That thought made me blush.

"Oh, hello Barbara!" he said with equally faked surprise. A weak smile appeared in my face. Inwardly I accused him of stalking me, just to blame somebody else than me for being so agitated, but I could not deny that despite my unsureness I also felt slightly amused, embarrassed and very flattered by the look he had given my body. I still was a woman and Tommy obviously had realised it.

"Hello, Tommy!" I was quite shocked that his name had slipped my tongue so easily. Quite as shocked as he was, according to his eyes growing wide. "I, umm... the water is quite refreshing." Yeah, that was witty, I knew, but the sudden thought of running my tongue across his nipple pushed all other rational thoughts away. Why, in the humid warmth in here, was it erect anyway? I felt like an idiot when Tommy suddenly fidgeted with his towel. Looking at his watch he obviously had found an excuse to leave my presence.

"Oh, no, look, I forgot to put my watch into the locker. See you later!" And so he quickly turned and almost fled from me.

* * *

 _Wasn't it a waterproof watch?_

* * *

 **...**

* * *

It must have looked as if I was fleeing from Barbara but that was partly true. Back in the changing cubicle I dumped my head against the tiled wall before I put my deep waterproof watch into the locker.

After the massage I should have taken another bath in the ice water. Instead I went to the pool to work Barbara out of my system with a few rounds there. That was a bad decision. When I had changed into my swimwear and walked to the starting blocks of the unexpectedly huge natatorium in an extension of the huge hotel complex I was there just in time to see a woman climbing out of the basin. She had reached the edge of the pool and when she stroked her wet hair backwards I saw that it was Barbara. I could not stop watching how she climbed the ladder in her very own graciously clumsy way. Water trickled down her perfect body across her flawless skin (or was I looking through a fog?) where it was bare. Her bathing suit left no room at all for imagination. Well, in fact it left room for all sorts of fantasy. Barbara's body was well shaped from head to toe. Her arms with a hint of muscles she needed when holding a suspect, the hands slim but with a trained firm grip at the metal bar of the handrail. Climbing step by step upwards it changed from that firm grip to a loose slide upwards. I swallowed. Diverting my thoughts away from this image and my eyes to the rest of her appearance was not helpful either.

The glistening water drops on her skin were in a competition with the shiny silver chain in her bosom. Her breasts were round and just the best size and obviously it was a bit cold coming out of the water. Her nipples pierced through the thin cloth. My breath involuntarily left my lungs. There! Oh, please, no! Had she seen me?

Her slim waist was accentuated by little pads on her hips that told of too much unhealthy food but also of runs to get rid of it. Her thighs were well shaped and her calves like her arms slightly muscular. Her legs seemed to be longer than I actually had expected but that impression also could have come from my momentarily blurred vision. I should not stare at her but I could not stop. A part of me wanted to run to her, put my arms around her, fall back into the water with her and kiss her hard. My mind excluded all other present people and already made love to her floating in the water.

* * *

But that would not happen. At the bottom of her sweet ankles was a pair of not too small feet that kept her to the ground. She should kick my back with them.

Those feet carried her to a chair where she had to get down in order to pick up her towel. I felt a sudden bulge growing in my pants and swallowed again at the sight of her round bottom cheeks. Not too less but definitely not too much either. I very well could picture my hands digging into it when I pulled her close to my crotch.

Oh, good gracious, she had to come past me. Why wasn't I able to go through walls? Where could I hide? More important: where could I hide my affection? My towel came in handy to be held in front of my belly. A weak smile was all I could muster when I greeted her in faked surprise. As if she would not have already seen me staring at her moments ago. Her voice calling me by my name was like an angel's choir to my ears. Seeing her own eyes grow wide in shock about it only added to my indecent thoughts.

A cold shower was the only appropriate thing for me and my pert abdomen so my waterproof watch served as a cheap excuse to flee back to the changing cubicles.

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	7. Bonnie Prince Charming

**A/N:** Still 2015 here. Australia and most of Asia already is in 2016. Before I leave to the countdown and be off for a while I think another chapter would be nice. So, here's to you...

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 **Bonnie Prince Charming**

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Poor old ladies who just had wanted to bob a bit up and down there and were disturbed by a human speed boat - I was shortly before being kicked out of the pool by the pool supervisor. After I've worked off my steamy mind in the water I was back in the safety of my room and just had washed off the chlorine water. Standing in front of the mirror I combed back my wet hair. _Bloody lock, stay there!_ Should I shave that sparse hair on my chest like I did in my younger days? I chuckled. Thoughts wandered back to the moment I had seen Barbara looking at me. Well, obviously there was no need for a shave, according to the dreamy expression in her eyes when she had looked at my chest. I almost had expected her to run her fingers through it. I would very much have appreciated that. Again my belly turned into a butterfly nest at the mere thought of Barbara's hands on my body. I did not think I would have kept my composure...

Whoa, that would have been a moment to remember. For all present company. Maybe we should make a date for another day to meet for a bit of swimming. And a shower afterwards. A juicy smile grinned back at me out of the mirror. For a moment I thought that I still was in a very good shape for my bloody age of forty... umm... something. Who cares about age?! I regularly visit the gym and it was good for my body. I sucked in my already flat enough belly and thought about shaving me down there. The towel that was wrapped around my waist fell to the floor revealing myself to my scrutinising look. Not too bad. At least the dark line from my belly southwards should definitely be left where it was, but lower...?

I whistled a bit and then had to chuckle. Oh, my, Lord Asherton, what are you thinking? That you meet her downstairs at the bar? That you flirt with her? That you seduce her and take her to bed, or what? You are disgustingly straightforward, Mr Lynley.

"Well, yes, I am." I nodded at my reflection while I cleaned my shaver and added a muttered "Why shouldn't I..."

Hoping to see her at the bar and at the same time fearing she actually could be there I put on some clothes. I was in a very eager mood and almost had nothing on my mind but Barbara. Should I really go down there? Probably going to sleep would be better for all of us. Anyway a nice nightcap would be fine so I left to the hotel's bar.

I deeply inhaled. Out of a billion of backsides I would have known Barbara's. Even in this boat neck top.

* * *

 **...**

* * *

Fingertips were sent down my spine and along with it went a cosy shiver. I already had heard that someone had come behind me and I had smelled the intense scent of my boss so I did not jump but actually straightened my back to lengthen that wonderful feeling of his touch. I even turned my head slightly backwards to get as much of his scent as possible, this warm mixture of his mint-spicy cedar wood aftershave and that personal touch that always reminded me a bit of leather. I already was lost. Tommy's voice was low and right next to my ear when he reassured me that he was not stalking me even if it looked like that.

"Care if I take that seat?" His smile was wide and innocent but I was sure he had seen the hairs in my nape standing.

I ordered two more half-pints after he downed his whisky and we talked animatedly about the sporting and relaxing facilities, always avoiding the elephant in the room because after one look in his eyes I knew that he knew that I knew that we both had had some sort of inappropriate thoughts when we had met throughout the evening. In fact we were hesitantly flirting with each other. Although it frightened me a bit I very much appreciated this.

He ordered champagne. Was there something to celebrate?

Tommy told me multiple times I should relax because that was what my holidays were for and he tried to convince me three times or more that I should call him Tommy like I had this afternoon. He could not know why that had happened but in the end his name slipped my tongue when he finally had stopped asking for it and I finally had stopped avoiding addressing him. We both startled, me a bit anxious, he visibly happy.

"See?" he murmured raising his glass. " 't wasn't too difficult, hm? And now continue with that story. What did the woman say?"

After I swallowed down the lump in my throat I already had forgotten what I was about to tell him so I only smiled. "Sir, you're my boss. I can't actually call you by your name."

"As long as we're in private, Barbara, you can call me almost anything you want. Just relax."

A snorting chuckle escaped my mouth. "It's not easy, Sir... Tommy... when - even in private - you always seem to wear your office things like suits and..." I waved my hand through the air. "...this rope around your neck."

"This rope, as you wish to call it, is pure silk and from one of the best tailors of London." he pouted.

"Yah, anyway, you asked _me_ to relax so why don't _you_?" I cheekily asked. "We're in private, I thought."

"Yes, but men just wear ties. Especially when going out with a lady."

I rolled my eyes and made a gesture around the room. "They don't. Or are you applying for the waiter job?" I pointed my chin at the bar tender and then had to chuckle once more. I was nervous. Nervous and excited. I had to divert my eyes to the beer in front of me. "Sorry, Sir."

Correcting his tie Tommy mock grumbled. "Tommy..."

"Yah, Tommy!" I rolled my eyes again and - I still don't know what got into me - patted his hands away so I could loosen the knot of his tie until it hang open around his neck. Stroking my hands across his chest, just because I could and just because I wanted to, I was a bit faster than his hands fishing for mine. He missed my hand and covered his motion with feeling for his tie ends but I felt his eyes constantly being fixed on mine. "Better." My voice suddenly was raspy and my hands suddenly trembled when I looked in his face. With an unbelieving and unbelievably soft expression he had watched me. He still looked at me that way with those dark and tender eyes of his.

Had I already mentioned that I was lost?

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"Mhm... better." I whispered, disappointed that Barbara had withdrawn her hands so quickly. She must have sensed that I was quite a bit surprised by her boldness - she seemed to be equally surprised - but there was no way to describe how very pleased I was, very satisfied with that moment of closeness. We were silent. Our hands on the bar were not touching but I felt the warmth coming from hers. I did not dare to touch her so the silence stretched and I was still looking at her without saying anything verbally. I was lost for her and obviously speechless. Barbara still avoided my stare but her eyes still were wide open. My mind raced frantically searching for something to say although I actually just wanted to kiss her.

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 **...**

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My mind crying out that I should be kissed right now drowned out the silence between us.

"Ok, you birdies, last call for alcohol."

The bar tender rescued us from that awkward moment. In fact it was not awkward at all but very disturbing. My eyes darted to the empty glass in front of me. I should not have drunk so much. A half pint alone, two half pints and a glass of champagne with Tommy and half of the whisky I had from his glass to taste were more than enough after such a long day, no matter what I had eaten for dinner. I definitely should call it a day now but Tommy ordered another drink.

"Yep. Please bring us one Bourbon, one Scotch and-" he nodded towards me. "-one beer."

Looking at my boss like only one could look who had heard this joke a thousand times the bartender still waited for a real order that did not come. He sighed. "Let's put it clear, lad. You're in Scotland; you won't get Bourbon in my bar."

I laughed out loud.

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 **A/N:** Thanks for all your reviews so far although miraculously I can't see them at the moment. See you all next year ;-)


	8. but sort of

**A/N:** I'm so glad FF finally had fixed the problems with the reviews (and probably other issues they had) so I can finally read them and thank you. I had wanted to go on only when I can see reactions again. Not that I write for reviews, it's more for my own pleasure and that of a few friends here, but some positive reactions and even constructive critics actually are comforting and encouraging for a writer anyway ;-) So here we go again.

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In this chapter the change of perspective goes quicker in some parts and I tried to emphasise that with writing HER perspective normal and _HIS perspective italic_. I hope it works. In later chapters (almost finished) I have completely given up the first person perspectives so don't be surprised.

Anyway, enjoy...

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 **...but sort of**

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 _"Fair enough." I smiled at Barbara who obviously enjoyed my faux-pas. My face expressed to her that I thought the bartender was right and I was a complete idiot. It made her laugh even more. If I was blessed with her laughter all the time I humiliate myself I could do it for the rest of my life. "Then make it two Bunnahabhain and two pints of that Yakhop. Thank you." Well, at least I had_ tried _to be funny._

 _We had not seen us only for five days or so but we had talked very much and animatedly about everything and nothing with almost no awkward moments. During the evening our conversation had been relaxed and it even had become a bit flirty. At first I thought she did not even recognise it but I carefully had come closer to her, I had started to lean against her shoulder testing the grounds with some mumbled cheeky words the waiter should not hear, in fact nobody should have heard but the two of us, and we had snickered together. When I had added something about the fact that we were the youngest around here and we had to bond and when I also added that I was quite pleased that I could be here with her - of course I quickly reassured her once more that I was not stalking which made her groan in playful annoyance - I finally heard her cautiously respond with an equally suggestive answer._

 _Barbara looked so sweet when she was blushing with her eyes apologising for her indecent ambiguity. I just had to try and get some more of those innuendos out of her._

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 **...**

* * *

With our last round of beer (and a whisky which name I already had forgotten) Tommy and I became even more flirtatious as if we both feared the evening would end too soon and we had to make up for lost time. Actually both was true. In the end with almost every sentence we were exchanging some innuendos. It was quite funny and at the same time disturbingly pleasant, very sensual, and, I secretly had to admit, almost thrilling. And a flirt doesn't hurt, does it? And since we were decently dressed it was easier not to think about ripping his towel away or touching his sweaty chest. That is until Tommy carefully poked his finger under my silver chain, tenderly but definitely too briefly stroking my skin, making me nervous again with that delicate touch, and pulled the leaf from under my top. I stopped breathing. The touch burnt through my skin, down into my abdomen and even lower into my loins, making me realise that all I wanted was to return this sensual touch and kiss him. I involuntarily leant forward but Tommy just watched my cleavage.

"What I was asking myself - what kind of leaf is this?" His eyes moved upwards to mine. He was close. So close that I easily could have kissed him by just bending another bit forward. His face showed a distracted expression which I rightly interpreted as a sign that his mind was not at all with the leaf. Tommy's eyes darted from left to right and back and to my lips. Why the hell wasn't he kissing me?

"I don't know." My small voice was full of the nervousness that had come over me. "I got it from my mother's treasures but I never had seen her wearing it so I never could have asked where she got it from."

Now he should kiss me!

* * *

 **...**

* * *

 _Oh, please, I so wanted to kiss her. Instead I was talking about plants._

 _"Hm. Hawthorn? Alder tree? Maybe beech? Or birch perhaps?"_

 _"Hawthorn?!" Barbara chuckled and moved a bit backwards. Was there disappointment in her eyes? She appeared nervous to me. Maybe it was still from the touch of my fingers on her skin. Although it was just intended as in the row of our flirt I really had enjoyed it. I really would have enjoyed touching her more but that was beyond all questions. Wasn't it? I just should try and move closer again. I could place my fingertips on the junction of her neck and her shoulder. There where her skin was revealed from the boat neck. I could tickle a way up to her jaw and then bend over and give her a kiss._

 _I gulped down my beer. Some interesting facts should distract my infected mind so I told Barbara of the huge hawthorn bush in the back of our garden in Cornwall._

 _"You know, we have a huge hawthorn bush in our garden at Howenstow. I used to hide there as a child. And do you actually know that even birch leafs are edible?"_

 _I could be so boring sometimes. Barbara seemed to listen closely with her eyes glued on my lips. I should have given her a kiss._

* * *

 **...**

* * *

Tommy blessed me with an interesting story about the edibility of hawthorn and birch leaves but I did not listen very close. We had downed our pints and were on our way upstairs. Since my room was on the second floor we avoided the closeness of being in the elevator but the stairs were not too wide so our hands constantly touched on our way up until he just grabbed mine and held it as if it was something completely normal. Which it was not at all for me.

After we had come to a point at the verge of being a bit tipsy at the end of our evening I was enduring a constantly talking man at my side. If I would not know better I would say Tommy was overplaying his nervousness. From the hawthorn bush in his garden, over edible plants, he came to telling me about some embarrassing conversation between two old men in the sauna and then he mentioned that they should not offer every possible spa, sports and what else there was in the world of attractions although they really had some skilful masseurs here. The hotel owners should concentrate on what they already had.

"You've already tried the Asian massage?" he asked me. Why was he grinning so... _naughty_?!

* * *

 **...**

* * *

 _I really told her of my experience on the massage table. I really did. Well, sort of._

 _It had been such a nice evening at the bar - the drinks we had, the whisky we had shared, our little flirting that still surprised me, her cheeky responses that had surprised me even more. Barbara had been so relaxed as if she really had enjoyed me being there and she had shown no signs of objection when I had taken her hand in mine on our way up the stairs. This was so wonderful that I almost slowed my walk to extend the time until I had to leave her at her door. After I had bored her to death with my lecture about edible leaves I searched for another topic - or else I would try to nibble on her earlobe. Or let my lips play with that little silver thing at her throat. We had come so close this evening I actually dared to tell her what had happened to me on the massage table while that woman dug her hands into my backside. Of course I did not_ exactly _tell her that I was aroused because I had thought of_ her _, but sort of._

 _"It was so relaxing I even moaned your- ...you're not believing how embarrassing that was." Uh-oh, that was close! Barbara's head had jerked up but I succeeded in covering my words so she smiled understandingly. "Of course the masseur knew why I wasn't getting off the table but she convinced me that this was a normal reaction so I should not bother."_

 _This could have meant everything._

 _The beautiful sound of her roaring laughter filled the empty corridor. Unfortunately we had reached her room so I had to let go of her hand._

* * *

 **...**

* * *

I nervously laughed too loud. Surely Tommy would not have said what I was about to hear about 'moaning your', which probably meant moaning _my_ name, so I believed that my mind was just playing tricks on me. But according to his still naughty grin the massage had been very 'relaxing' anyway.

"You should try that relaxation too, Barbara."

"Oh, I've 'relaxed' earlier in the tub." I told myself that I would not be saying more.

"You weren't showering, like you said, were you?" There it was again, his cheeky, naughty, challenging grin.

I only blushed. _Not only cedar wood - a bit of nutmeg, too!_ were my last thoughts. His scent hit my brain when he lowered his head and whispered into my ear that he was sure he had heard me saying something that sounded very close to 'shaving'. His winking eyes made me chuckle, but no, I won't tell more. Tommy's cheeky grin grew wider and then I knew how I could answer his challenge. I knew how to put his Lordship off his stride. I really had one whisky too much, or was it the bubbly champagne? I had no more control on my flirtatious answer. Normally I never would have been so bold, but normally Tommy never would have been so direct either.

I knew how I could shock him, although I knew I should not. There was a way I probably could make him blush too, although I knew I really should not. My brain told me to behave, but my tongue was on a mission of its own so after a few moments of probably looking very naughty at him I finally _did_ tell him what I _really_ had been doing when he had knocked at my door. Well, I did not exactly tell him that I was blessing myself, but sort of.

"I actually already had finished shaving my legs and indulged in some private quality time in the water when you've knocked on my door, Sir, so I was quite a bit shocked when I suddenly heard the image in my head calling my name. So I sort of jerked."

With a final wink at him I opened my door and went inside where I turned trying to innocently wish him a good night. I was not really expecting a good night kiss but I dearly wished for one. And feared it at the same time.

* * *

 **...**

* * *

 _She had said good night to me and waited for a response. Or a kiss? I really should kiss her. Innocently brief and maybe just onto the corner of her lips. Or a full-bodied snog. Or better nothing. The door already was half-closed between us. Grinning I answered her wink._

 _"Good night to you too, Barbara. Have a relaxed night."_

 _"Oh, I'll have." Was she really grinning naughtier? Suddenly I realised what she really had said between the lines and seeing her blush so sweetly creeping across her cheeks I knew she knew now that I just had realised it was the truth and not just a flirtatious remark. In an instant I felt completely sober._

 _"Wait! What? You...? You imagined..._ me _?" My positively shocked eyes grew even wider. "Did you...?!"_

* * *

 **...**

* * *

"Good night, Sir!" My face was burning hot. Have I really told him about my relaxing bath? I really should not have said it.

* * *

 **.**

* * *

 **...**

* * *

 ***author smugly grins***


	9. Thunder

**A/N:** No more first person perspective from now on. Sorry. In the following chapter there are some fictional cases that did not appear in the show. They happened after the BBC had ended it ;-) Anyway, enjoy...

* * *

 **.**

 **Thunder**

 **.**

* * *

Barbara already regretted she had been so straightforward so she tried to retreat into her room and close the door thoroughly but Tommy put a flat hand on the door to keep it from closing. His eyes firmly locked with hers and things suddenly clicked into their place. A sultry, seducing, wanton expression in his face made it all clear now so she showed no more signs of resistance when she let him tower her backwards. In his darkened eyes she could see an unhidden storm of desirous feelings and the naughty grin in his face had disappeared like that on hers. Barbara backed into the room knowing full well in the back of her stormy mind that Tommy would follow her if he understood what she said to him with her look.

He did. When he read the exposed longing in the green sea of her eyes Tommy stepped into her room straight after her.

The door went close by the heel of his shoe and he had embraced her in the blink of an eye. Her arms were around his waist without her recognising what she did.

"I never imagined it to be mutual!" Tommy blurted out.

 _This is it!_ Barbara thought. _Take what you can get; he is willing to give it to you tonight._ And she wanted to take it. Wide eyed and longing she looked up at her boss and felt his body burning hers. With the invitation of Barbara's hungry eyes he crashed his lips on hers.

* * *

After the first moments of adjusting and sheer desperation the kiss turned into a deep encounter full of even more desire. All her thoughts pushed aside Barbara immediately parted her lips to let Tommy's tongue invade her mouth. He fought with hers, she swirled his around, he almost tried to breathe her in, she was clutching his shirt in her fists. It was not clear if Barbara had started it or if Tommy had been the first to pull her blouse from her jeans. It was not even clear if Barbara was pulling him or if Tommy was pushing her further into the room. First they just had pressed their hips against each other in wanton urge, and then they started to undress each other. With hectically shaking fingers Barbara opened the buttons of his shirt. His hands had found their way under her blouse and restrictedly encircled her soft waist and he needed to hold himself back from digging his fingers into her flesh too hard. The pressure of his fingers on her skin pulling her onto his belly made her moan into his mouth.

"I've dreamed of this since you danced with me during that chess game case." he panted, lips hovering right next to her nose while she kissed his chin. "Oh, Barbara! I can be more than just an image. Let me give you the real Tommy." Barbara's answer came impulsively quick and very clear: "Oh, hell, yes, please!" followed by a nervously excited laugh. For a moment Tommy paused, giving her a self-confident and reassuring smile before he pulled the blouse over her head and threw it away in one move.

"You've allured me all those moments we've met in the spa, you shameless vixen!" he growled with a low voice before he pressed his lips on hers again thus smothering any possible objections in the cradle. There were not many. Barbara almost was lost in this mutual assault. After having opened the bottom button of his shirt Barbara raked her hands across his chest and over his shoulders, pushing the shirt more open.

" 'n' I've thought 'bout doin' this the entire day!" His shirt finally slid off his shoulders and down his arms, her nose revelling in the scent on his throat. "Your smell drives me mad!" Barbara bit his neck when his skilled hands had opened her bra and soon his shirt joined it on the floor. Heated lips met again in the same moment their upper bodies were flush skin on skin.

"Oooh...!" Barbara's hands lustfully roamed his body and then ended being busy with opening his belt and the button of his trousers. Her feet already had discarded her shoes on their own without her head thinking about it and following her backward moves Tommy tripped over them.

* * *

"You're so messy. I've always loved it." Lips stayed glued to lips or skin. Teeth softly bit trembling flesh and tongues soothed the marks. "It always had such a nice personal appeal to me." Both briefly grinned, united thoughts were flashing back to knickers in a drawer. While getting rid of his own shoes Tommy nibbled at her earlobe so Barbara moaned her pleasure into his ear. Gooseflesh was all over her skin and her nipples were as hard as unripe cherries. Tommy could feel them almost scratching across his chest.

"I've always thought of your sexy body after we've helped out Soho Vice Squad!"

"Don't remind me of those heels!" Barbara breathed. She knew exactly that Tommy now had the image of her in a chic but short skirt and with high heeled over-knee boots in his head. Her hoarse laugh made him groan.

"Don't remind _me_!" he panted and pulled her hip against his crotch. The bulge there was palpable and very welcomed. Their lips met again in a feverish kiss. Keeping herself steady with one hand in his back Barbara erratically groped her other hand across his equally hardened nipples. It was all but cold in her room.

Together they had stumbled across the room, pass the bed and right into the wall opposite the door. The air was pushed from her lungs at the passionately heavy impact.

* * *

"Yes!" A groan from her lungs went straight into his. Shocked about that another nervous giggle rippled through her body while his lips and tongue left a wet trace on her skin when Tommy knelt down in front of Barbara, straight away pushing her jeans and underwear downwards. Her head fell back against the wall with a thud, her hands were on his shoulders, and her breath was uneven and quick. His lips made a short diversion across the hard skin of the big scar on the right side of her lower belly, long enough to let her recognise where exactly he kissed her but brief enough to not let it sink in too deep and make her feel embarrassed.

There was no time for any embarrassment at all. "Please!" Barbara sighed.

The diversion did not stop him from moving his lips to the curls below her navel and finally freeing her of her legwear and socks. With his breath, his lips, his tongue everywhere and almost there Barbara hardly could concentrate on lifting one, then the other leg to help him undress her. _Not shaved here!_ he thought letting his hands glide up again over her thighs and to her waist with his thumbs briefly raking through the curly triangle.

Barbara sucked air into her lungs but he was not exploring her there further. Standing again, with one hand on her waist, the other on her breast he flicked his tongue across the nipple of the other one but Barbara impatiently lifted his face back up to hers to let him make her even more breathless again. "I've thought about doing this when you've climbed out of the pool earlier!" Still in his trousers Tommy pressed Barbara against the wall.

Some minor decent thought wafted through his blurry mind. "Not here!" he groaned and turned both their bodies away into the direction of the bed. Blurred as his mind was he took the wrong turn so they only crashed into some furniture.

* * *

Immediately Barbara felt herself being lifted onto the drawer cabinet, legs on either side of his hip. For a brief moment Tommy's hands left her skin to end her hand's work of pushing his trousers off his hips. In one go they pooled around his ankles and his hands returned to Barbara. The kiss was still unbroken while he kicked off the cloth of his trousers and also slipped off his socks. A cheeky thumb caressed its way across her thigh in the direction of where he hoped was a wet puddle. Tommy wanted Barbara to be as aroused as he was. And he wanted to feel it. He wanted to touch her. He wanted to slide his fingers through her wet folds. A groan from Barbara accompanied the sweet pain her fingers gave his shoulder when he finally did what he had been thinking about. She was as wet as St Mark's Square at high tide and easily accessible for him.

"Shaved!" he mumbled with his lips at her jaw.

"I told you so!" While she moaned this she wriggled herself against the rest of his cheeky fingers that still were testing the water. "Oh, god!" Barbara wanted more. "More!" Her fingers closed around the desired manhood and rubbed a bit up and down. Yes, that was what she wanted to feel. A hummed approval told her that it was what he wanted to feel too. But she still wanted more. She wanted the entire length of his hard member inside. She wanted to feel him growing in her and she wanted to feel it now.

"I don't care where!" she mumbled onto his lips. Her fingertips trailed rough-gently from the dripping tip across its length and the hair on his abdomen to his sides. She needed to slide closer to him. He wanted her closer.

His full erection stood right between them but Barbara still sat too far away from it so grabbing her buttocks Tommy pulled her onto him.

* * *

A carnal groan escaped Barbara's lungs when her wet centre suddenly was graced with the pressure of a full male arousal. It had been eons ago since something like this had happened but she could not remember that it had felt this wonderful. She groaned an almost nervous laugh.

"You feel so good!" Tommy moaned. Her legs involuntarily circled around him. Her ankles were crossed behind his thigh's backside when she pushed herself even closer onto him. His hands still on her bottom cheeks Tommy lifted Barbara up from her seating position. The friction it caused was too much for both so they ended the kiss. Heavily panting Barbara snaked her arms around his neck.

"I want you!" Her clear words were more than breathy.

"Oh, good!" Tommy groaned. "Because I want you too!"

"As if we- oh, blimey, _yes_!" In order to eventually hit the mattress he had turned, still carrying her pressed against his arousal. Fingers digging into her buttocks had made her wetness slide across his cock. It almost was too much. He just wanted to enter her right now. He wanted to feel her around his hard-on. He wanted to be in her. When Barbara moved to keep her balance in his arms she glided across and almost took him in. "Barb!" Tommy hissed restrained.

In one step they were right next to the bed. As carefully as he could be in that heated moment Tommy knelt on it. On his knees he reached the middle where he tenderly bent forward and laid Barbara down. "Ever since we've escaped that explosion I've dreamt of this almost every night." he whispered breathing hard.

"So have I!" She coaxed herself to the perfect angle towards him and without further ado but with as most restraint they were capable of they joined. Firmly but gently his entire strong length slid into her longing centre.

* * *

"Oh, Lord!" she quietly cried out into his ear. This was far better than all of her imaginations.

"Finally... call... call me... Tommy!" Tommy panted onto her shoulder. Their snicker was only short. He was already reaching her innermost point with long deep thrusts so every ridiculous chuckle went down in moans and groans.

"Oh, my fucking goodness!" It was a pleasure to hear her loud excitement. It was a pleasure to be the cause of her loud excitement. All in all it only was quite a short pleasure but oh, it was a hard and heavy, intense pleasure. After Tommy had entered her Barbara had made quite clear that she was not expecting him to prolong anything. She dug her nails into his flesh where they momentarily were and the sweet pain she caused on his right shoulder and on his left bottom cheek gave him reason to immediately set the pace of his thrusts onto a higher level. His softly biting teeth were at her left breast's nipple when his cock felt her getting tighter around him.

Feeling the friction the man she long had desired finally rubbed across all her needy spots was too much for her to keep herself at the edge. She felt the peak nearing quickly so it was only a few thrusts more and Barbara was already climaxing. Lights danced in the vision of her closed eyes and colours sweetened the blissful moments. Steady joyful cramps worked through her body.

"...Tom! ...Tom! ...Tom-mmmh!" Hearing her moan half of his name rhythmically during that wave brought him onto the same level. "Tooommmmh!"

"Oh my..." he groaned and stars exploded behind his eyelids when he thrusted hard and deep into her and lustfully cramped for a moment. She still was pulling him onto her with her heels in the hollows of his knees and her frantic fingers still were clutching his hip and her whole body still was arching into his. Tommy managed two or three additional thrusts and stopped again while he dissolved in her. "Barbara!" he cried low and another moan followed, drowned out by Barbara finally groaning his full name.

"Aaarng!" was almost all which her convulsing body allowed her to moan. "Tommy!"

* * *

Totally spent his body crushed hers. She did not mind at all. All their laughter, their frenzy, their nervous chuckles, their love-struck grins, their desperate vows, their delighted sounds of wondrousness, their moans, sighs and other sounds of love still filled her spinning brain and her whirling mind. This joyful explosion had been needed and wanted and finally it had fulfilled them. This was a gorgeous moment. Feeling Tommy's body still inside and completely covering her she moaned again.

How could such an enjoyably teasing flirt suddenly have turned into such a raw and desirous fulfilment? She did not care. This had been heavy, but nonetheless enjoyably gorgeous.

* * *

 **.**

* * *

 **...**


	10. The Aftermath

**A/N:** I hope you have all recovered from the finally-they-did-it-outburst and from the wonder- and lustful story SisterSnorfl has written (if you haven't read it yet, do it now!) because I have finished another chapter. Feel free to leave a review.

Now, enjoy...

* * *

 **.**

 **The Aftermath**

 **.**

* * *

Eventually he rolled off her body onto his back and, still panting, closed his eyes. Their hands were touching and he tenderly intertwined their fingers. Her cries of pleasure still were ringing in his ears.

"Oh, mighty stars..." Barbara breathed watching the ceiling. "This was..." She did not know how to call it. Wonderful, fulfilling, gorgeous, extraordinarily satisfyingly pleasurable, even supercalifragilistic-expialidocious was not even _beginning_ to describe how she felt.

"...heavy!" she tried with an exhausted moan and closed her eyes too. For such a needy explosion at least this had been the most satisfying sexual experience she ever had. _And here I was thinking I am a silent comer. I wasn't even quiet..._ She even was too knackered to chuckle.

Tommy turned towards her. He pressed his forehead into her shoulder. "I'm sorry." he whispered onto her upper arm.

"I'm not at all." Barbara burst out. A smug smile appeared in her face but he could not see it. When they first had stumbled through the room Barbara briefly had feared the embarrassing moment after the sex and now she was only feeling happiness, a deep satisfaction and all but awkward.

Tommy placed a tender kiss on her arm. "I'm sorry for that coarse outburst, Barbara." The woman next to him seemed to be as satisfied as he felt but still... The idea that he should make up for a lost foreplay with a tender sequel crossed his mind.

"Sshh!" When she had inhaled to reply he silenced her. "Please don't say anything, Barbara."

Trying to see his face she turned her head towards him. Her body still did not yet respond to her brain's orders to move. What was he up to? A small anxious presentiment crept into her mind. Was he regretting this in the end?

"I'm not regretting having made love to you, Barbara, my dear, quite the contrary." Tommy's nose gently tickled across her arm. "I'm just regretting that I had not stopped the forceful, needful-"

"...lustful..." Barbara whispered.

"...lustful..." Tommy repeated softly snickering his lips against her skin. "...wonderful, ecstatic erotically thunderstorm that howled us through your room. But I should have restricted myself and give you the tender summer rain a woman like you would have deserved. And..." Meanwhile he had shifted and was almost covering half of her body. Watching the reaction of hardening buds his hand had hovered across her breast almost without touching it and now his fingers were softly grazing her lips. She timidly kissed them. Their eyes locked. A tenderly smiling face looked up to hers. "...most of all I had imagined our first time so much slower, more tender. I had wanted to worship every inch of your skin with kisses and endearment."

"You've thought about this earlier?" she asked, eyes falling shut again, surrendering to the soft warmth of his lips on her shoulder. Barbara really could not believe it. Was he actually saying he already had imagined making love to her?

"Since we've been watching Shakespeare at the theatre after the Thompson case." he murmured onto her cleavage. "More and more often I have imagined kissing your naked body. And this whole day at the spa was sheer torture. Sheer, pleasant torture."

His lips kissed her breast. First one, then the other, slowly, warm, soft. The hardened peaks were more than a positive response. Approving his attempt to make good for that earlier consented assault Barbara hummed low. She did not object at all. She loved him. If she would not have been lying she would have sighed and sunken into the pillows to let him go on hovering over her body for the rest of all time without touching except for his lips and hands.

"And I'm so glad you've rescued me from it." He let his wet lips encircle the taut peak of her left breast again. "So wonderful." he whispered. "I longed for it all throughout our dinner today and now you finally allow me to taste you." While Tommy continued whispering what he had wanted to do to her at their first time together, where he had imagined to kiss her throughout the day, where he had fantasised to caress her during the evening at the bar, he now did just that.

* * *

Following his ethereally caressing hands feathery kisses tickled Barbara on their languid way across her stomach, her belly, her abdomen. She inwardly prepared herself for the feeling of his lips in her curls and lower but before they reached that area Tommy diverted the trail to her left thigh. He only stopped kissing her just above her knee while his hands went further softly massaging her calves. He looked up at her raptured face. He was kneeling between her legs and it was all but dark in the room so he could see her very well. Her eyes were closed and a small smile played in the corners of her mouth. Tommy's heart spilled over with love for her and his lower regions were definitely reacting to her smashed, exhausted but contented and satisfied appearance. Barbara's arms were spread and so were her legs, one bent, the other stretched, but she obviously did not feel displayed, at least not in an awkward way. Here she was lying naked for the man she loved, the man who had just made love to her and obviously was making it again, or still was, ah, whatever. Barbara shamelessly and without regret shoved her clear thoughts into one corner of her brain to simply indulge in his caresses.

Since his lips finally had left her a long moment ago she opened her eyes to see what he was doing.

Their eyes locked again.

"You do realise that I'm not only making physical love to you right now, don't you?" Tommy whispered leaving a kiss on her right bent up knee. "I adore you." He left another kiss on her knee and then his face showed how smitten he was. "Actually I love you."

That was too much. Her clear thoughts returned to the centre of Barbara's brain but her heart still skipped a beat. "You shouldn't say that, Sir!" She almost sobbed wondering why he was trying to destroy the moment with unrealistic vows.

"But it's the truth!" Tommy held her gaze and kept on smiling. His eyes were hooded with a soft loving desire and deep down inside she dared to see real love although she could not quite believe it. Or could she?

"For a very long time I absolutely had no clue what was missing in my life. Then I learned it was you." Tommy knelt there and absentminded caressed her ankle and feet with one and massaged her thigh with the other hand. Inclining his head he smiled. "And I don't only mean your wonderfully striking physicality. I mean your wonderfully striking you."

After her facial expression had turned soft again and he could see she was beginning to believe him, Tommy lowered his head back to her leg. His lips left a kiss on her right thigh and he breathed sweet nothings onto her skin up to her hip where he dared to leave a soft love bite. "In fact I am deeply in love with you, Barbara Havers."

 _Believe him!_ her heart commanded her brain. She sighed in surrender. Her eyes fell close again. This was the most wonderful declaration of love Barbara ever could have thought of. And she could believe it.

* * *

Tommy's tongue dipped into her navel and Barbara shivered delighted. When the tip of his tongue went on licking trails across her skin it reached once more the big area of hardened skin where the lead had hit her years ago. "I love you!" he repeated passionately. His breath was hot on what she was calling her imperfection. Fear of losing her, fear of a repeat of that horrible incident resonated in his words. The play of his lips and tongue there was not at all inconvenient. He made her feel that it was not just an imperfection; it was a part of her body that simply belonged to her, to her body, her life, her history. Their history.

"I love you!" he repeated softly pressing his cheek into her belly. Tommy closed his eyes. He was overwhelmed by emotions. The wetness she could feel then was not his licking tongue. He had shed a tear.

"Tommy... I love you too!" Barbara choked and buried one hand in his hair, stroking his head until he lifted it again, passionately kissing her downwards. After all he was still making love to her; he was still cherishing her body.

* * *

"And guess what..." he softly laughed after a moment but his voice turned lasciviously lower with his next words. The mixed scent of their previous merging hit his nose and he deeply inhaled the heady smell. "I also love that you have not shaved everything because now I can nuzzle my nose into your curls while I give you a kiss onto your pleasure spot." He did so and his carnal side wanted to taste her, taste their mixed juices, pleasure her with his tongue, but he teasingly avoided those other intimate areas after he heard the hissing noise of Barbara sharply inhaling and felt her fist gripping his hair. She should not come yet. Tommy was not aware that he was doing what he thought he wanted to avoid. After the strong tip of his tongue had licked through her folds once he bit her there with lip-covered teeth and entered her with two fingers.

"Tom!" she squealed, sounding delighted and reproachful at the same time. She was trying hard not to push her hip up into his face.

"Oh, I will keep this for later." Apparently Tommy still enjoyed talking about what he _should_ have done to her during their first time while he actually was _doing_ it to her so after the little tasting he continued kissing her skin wherever his hands first had touched her. And although she would not have objected if he would have continued his work on and in her swollen cave Barbara was enjoying it all the more. Soft strokes caressed her belly and so was his tongue again. Tender fingertips tickled her sides and so were his lips.

Feeling her hand at one side he caressed her arm upwards and let his lips kiss a trail of wet spots all from the tips of her fingers, across her knuckles and her wrist, via the sensitive inside of her forearm, changing sides, from the crook of her arm to her elbow and then across her shoulder finally to her neck. When his fingertips reached her jaw Barbara turned her head so her lips met them. Looking deep into his eyes she took his digit into her mouth and let her tongue swirl around and her teeth playfully bite it. His pupils dilated while she softly sucked his finger and he no longer could hold back so he covered Barbara's body with his and replaced his finger with his lips.

Now she could taste it too.

* * *

Then Tommy turned onto his back and pulled her with him until she saddled him. Her wet centre slid across his arousal and he was not able to suppress a sudden moan. Although Barbara enjoyed that touch too she would have preferred the spoiled position a bit longer. Seeing in her face a slight disappointment to be on top now, Tommy just wriggled a bit, still with his arms around her chest, and turned her back onto her back with him kneeling above her between her legs.

"You enjoy being coddled, don't you?" he breathed onto her bosom without expecting an answer. His lips already were gone further to her breast, one hand softly pinching the other. "Good..." Tommy kissed the side of her breast. "Because I enjoy coddling you."

Her chest was heaving with her deep breaths and so he just waited for it to come close to his face again, then sucked in her nipple and softly pinched it with his teeth before he let go of it and soothed it with a soft kiss.

His hands caressed her sides. "I enjoy your breathing." Deeply inhaling Barbara writhed and with closed eyes pushed her head deeper into the pillow.

"Oh, Barbara... You lie there like a lazy cat in the sun..." Tommy murmured. Heat radiated between them. His body still almost only was hovering above hers, hot like a crackling fire. He needed to touch her. He wanted to feel her skin on his. But it was not yet the time for him to join her. He still knelt between her opened legs without really touching her. It was just heat on skin, breath on breasts, lips on shoulders.

She was not encouraging him to anything; she only savoured every second, enjoyed every caress. The prospect alone, or better the knowledge she would be feeling him again soon, built up a damp heat between her thighs and she felt the tingling sensation of swelling, blood filled flesh. The need to feel his skin rubbing across hers already was shortly before hurting. Other than moments ago when she just would have pulled him onto her Barbara exercised restraint now. Her hands just increased the force of their grip on his shoulder and on the side of his chest. And she suddenly shivered in sexual need.

"I enjoy giving you goose pimples." His lips sighed at her throat. He earned an approving low growl from Barbara. "Oh, my tired teddy!"

Feeling his lips at her jaw made her sigh a long approving "Yaaaah!" before she turned her head just the slightest bit to meet him in a long and deep kiss. What was meant as another gentle caress soon turned into a heated fight with tongues and teeth and heavy breathing in between, lips almost never losing contact. Barbara felt the tip of Tommy's erect manhood already touching her while he still tried to stay away and caress her. What was meant as a sweet and quietly cherishing after-play meanwhile had turned into a hot but still gentle foreplay. Tommy already was highly aroused. From the way Barbara squirmed underneath him he could tell she was too. She had fought to keep herself from pushing upwards to meet his body for a while now and she did not know how long she could stand it.

She would not have to because right when she had moved her hands from his chest to his hips to pull him down Tommy languidly slid into her with little effort.

"I enjoy gliding into you almost imperceptibly." he hoarsely breathed between two kisses. Barbara pressed her hips upwards to increase the friction of their bodies. Finally she let go.

"No!" she moaned.

"What?" Tommy stopped moving. "Did I hurt you?"

"Oh, not at all." With her hand in the back of his head Barbara pulled his face back down and gave him a slow and reassuring kiss whilst slowly rolling her hip into his groin. "...but this's... oooh... such... a pleasure..." Her voice turned darker and was leaden with sensuality. "...it's all but imperceptible!"

Answering her rolling hips with slow rocking movements Tommy propped himself up on his arms to look Barbara directly in the eyes. "Gooood." he moaned. "Because I enjoyed to-"

"Tommy?!" Barbara's voice was firm but raspy, so full of desire. She took his face in both hands and stilled it before hers. "Shut up. I got the idea."

* * *

Then exaltation took over and letting go of his face her hands slid to his shoulders, her head fell back onto the pillow and her body arched into his. It was not for the last time. Joined at the hottest spot of their bodies they rolled around a few times searching for the most pleasant friction. They changed positions and angles a few more times seeking the most enjoyable union until ecstasy ruled the rest of their actions once more for tonight and their little soft words of sweetness changed into nondescript sounds of approval, wantonness and sexual joy.

Lying diagonally on the bed Barbara rocked and rolled her longing loins and the rest of her excited body up against him, meeting the deeper and deeper digging thrusts of Tommy's strong manhood until it sent them both into rapture without any thoughts at all. They did not think nor talk about enjoying this, they just enjoyed it. In the end their bodies pushed and pulled, thrusted and bucked, moaned, groaned and cried in a sweaty whirl of sexual delirium until they joined an almost perfectly simultaneous orgasm.

* * *

Through a blurred starry mind Barbara had felt it coming quickly. Heat, tremor and soft convulsions had crept through her nerves to her centre with him still growing and hardening inside and when this wonderful feeling spread across all over her body again in a final rhythmically cramping convulsion, voiced through a guttural moan that left her lungs after repeating his name and other incoherent delighted curses multiple times with every deeper meeting, Tommy had finally given up his efforts to hold it back, to fight against the warmth of her tightening around him, and so he had thrusted one, two, or three more times deep into her, one hand on the mattress next to her body, the other on her left bottom cheek pulling their lower bodies flush together, his forehead on her left shoulder, feeling her fingernails on his back and her hot breath on his neck while she arched into him, finally letting go of the wave of pleasure that soaked into her, growling out his pleasure in a deeply toned, sustained "Yaaaaaaah!"

* * *

After regaining some breath and when both laid next to each other again, the inevitable awkward cleaning was done quickly and only half-heartedly, with totally spent bodies, they just exchanged a few lazy kisses before both fell asleep in each other's arms. Barbara only faintly remembered Tommy whispering "You are wonderful." into her ear before exhaustion took over.

She did not hear him whispering "And you are wonderfully noisy!" before he too drifted into sleep.

* * *

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	11. A Nightly Massage

**A/N:** Sorry for the delay but some real life virus had not only influenced my sinuses and lung but also my writing mood. But, well, here we go again. Enjoy...

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 **A Nightly Massage**

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* * *

After a nap of unknown time Tommy woke up. He was not covered at all and lay on his back so he actually was a bit cold. Additionally the light in the room still was entirely lit like it had been when they had stumbled into the room earlier, oblivious to everything but them. His lips spread into a smile and hearing her breathing next to him he turned and felt a happy twist in his stomach and a wonderful buzzing between his legs again. It was so just like her that the duvet was only on her side of the bed. It offered the view of her back because it was just covering her lower body, even leaving her naked leg outside and the hint of a sight to the skin of her naked hips. In the background of his view he saw the four small bottles on the nightstand. He already knew it was a choice of massage oils the hotel offered but he never had thought he would have a use for, although when he had been alone in his bed the previous night he actually had imagined a luxurious massage Barbara had played a major role in.

Now she lay there naked before him, exhausted by their lovemaking, sleeping with a faint contented smile on her lips and all was far better than any imagination could have pictured it. Carefully Tommy reached for one of the bottles. He chose the green one that had a very appalling scent of vanilla with a hint of seaweed. It had been the one that had made his previous imagination of Barbara under his hands go wild.

A few little drops of it landed on her back. Barbara did not wake up so Tommy knelt next to her and started to softly spread the oil, then he gently rub it in.

"Hmmm?" Still half sleeping her own noise woke her up. As if she was alarmed she cringed under his hands.

"Shh!" he whispered and kissed the spot between her shoulder blades. " 't's just me."

"Tooomm..." Her voice still was drowsy after sleep but relaxing she let her face fall back into the pillow. "Wha're ya doin'?"

"Loosening your muscles, love."

"Mmmh." More than humming probably was not an option for his sergeant sleepyhead. Tommy smiled. He already planned to elicit from her more than that. But first he would give her the bliss of gentle hands on her back. When it entirely shone with the oil in the light he started to add more pressure on her muscles. His thumbs softly dug into the flesh in her neck and on her shoulders to withdraw the tension. Small spiralling movements went down her back next to her spine. Barbara relaxed. This was so enjoyable she could drift back to sleep if it was not Tommy who was massaging her back. His flat hands shoved up at her sides with decreasing pressure until only his fingertips graced the sides of her breasts. Shortly before they reached her armpits they wandered back onto her shoulders. Each side of her nape was softly and firmly pleased with both hands for a while until he indulged in caressing her back again with flat hands.

"Oooh, mmmmh..." Barbara breathed. The duvet was pulled deeper and his magical strokes attended the small of her back.

"Deeper!" she involuntarily ordered but there was no chance that Tommy would obey so soon. Instead of blessing her bottom he just operated on her hip pads, leaving red marks with his thumbs only on the outer side of her bottom cheeks. This way his fingers were nearer to her important front. Barbara's mind resolved upon willing his hands to her centre. Her legs, once bent in her favourite sleep position now stretched out and - she could not help it, they were moving on their own - opened up a bit. Her sleepiness was fully gone at that point but that was when Tommy stopped. An angry grumbling protest was about to rise in her chest when she felt the duvet being shoved to the floor. More of the cool oil dribbled onto her left and onto her right bottom cheek. Apparently he was climbing above her leg and now knelt between her legs because the mattress dipped.

Barbara sucked in the air. A droplet of the oil had found its way to her leg and rand down her inner thigh.

"Whoaw!" she groaned. The back of his crooked finger caught the oil before it reached the mattress and he led it back to her buttocks.

"I'm sorry!" Tommy whispered but smugly was not at all.

Her legs now gained their own attention from him. Slowly he massaged her left leg from the cheek, across the thigh, with fingertips through the hollow of her knee and down to her calf. The same was attended upon her right leg. Ending it at her ankles Tommy shifted and now with his hands on both legs at once let his oily fingers glide back up in short moves back and forth. Above her knees he turned more attention to the inner sides of her thighs but still avoided where Barbara wanted to feel him so badly. When she felt his thumbs moving closer he moved them through the valley at the junction of her bottom and her thighs.

Tommy's habit of staying away from the important areas was killing her. To his very smug pleasure Barbara groaned impatiently. "Good god, Tommy!"

While his thumbs moved around her firm yet soft cheeks to the little dip above it and then a bit deeper between them he could watch her squirm before him. Tommy had only one aim now and Barbara had not to turn around for that. Starting where his thumbs had been seconds ago his lips trailed light kisses up her spine. The mattress next to her dipped each time his hands made a step forward, letting her know he was creeping up her back without any more touches than that of his lips. The heat radiated between them so she knew how close he was. A soft bite into her nape, followed by a soothing kiss made her moan again.

"You like it?" his voice whispered into her ear followed by his tongue licking its contours.

"Yes!" Her voice was a high pitched mess. Her whole body was a high alerted mess in fact. Her hands crumpled the sheets, her forehead bored into the pillow and her hip shifted and could barely be held back not to lift and touch him. "It's a torture!"

The man above her, with his nose tenderly stroking her shoulder blade and his breath tickling her skin, deeply chuckled. He knew exactly what he was doing to Barbara. He hoped that the excited buzzing feeling in his abdomen would be thrilling her too when the tip of his tongue left a wet trace downwards again.

"Oooouch!" she breathed although it did not hurt at all when his teeth bit her buttocks - quite the contrary.

All those soft moans and low hums and her impatiently shifting body had let his cock stand hard. He believed she was as aroused as he was but he needed to know for sure so his hands started to knead her bottom all the way between her thighs. He could feel that she shifted them apart a bit more so he had more access to the area where she wanted him, had wanted him from the moment he had woken her up with this massage. One of his fingers moved closer to this area and Barbara stopped breathing. She sucked in even more air when Tommy's finger slid between her swollen folds and stroked her centre all the way back agonizingly slow. She was dripping wet and more than ready for him.

"Feels so good!" he moaned. His massaging hands though continued to work on her muscles and doing so went to her side. There were no objections to be heard while Tommy lifted her middle, still kneeling between her knees. Barbara, with her bottom up in the air, stretched her arms like a cat and gave him something like a meowing approval. Not able to keep his body away from hers anymore Tommy bent forward until his chest touched her shoulders, until his lips could reach her skin again. He snaked his arms around her and kneaded her breasts and finally he gave in to the temptation to rub his hard member against the soft skin between her bottom cheeks.

"Aaaahmmm..." An inarticulate sound left her mouth that had been intended as some approving word she had forgotten in the next second because a slow but skilful twist of his hip had brought his cock between her legs, its tip already prodding her entrance. Tommy hesitated and was about to ask something so he took a breath but was interrupted before he could say anything.

"Oh, yes, please!" she desperately groaned.

"Are we a bit impatient?" he teased her.

"Of course we are!" It sounded like an order to enter.

Tommy's flat hands stroked her sides before he finally slid into her with a contented moan of pleasure. It was mirrored by hers.

Together they slowly rocked into oblivion. The massage had been such an intense foreplay that it did not take them long to reach a peak where just the soft pressure onto her clit let her inner walls cringe pleasurably for both. Until now they had been bowed over in a kneeling spooned position but Tommy eventually had to straighten his back. Gently guiding grips pulled and pushed her hips back and forth, moving her inner walls up and down the full length of his shaft. A short moment later Barbara followed him to have his bare chest back in her arched back. The sizzling feeling had spread all across her body and she was close. Her breathing had turned into a heavy panting; his rhythmical breaths hissed right next to her ear and on her shoulder. Her arm went behind her into the back of his neck. Somehow without losing their connection they even managed to twist their bodies until their lips touched in breathed kisses. Steady moans met in their mouths until Tommy could not hold back anymore and increased the pace from slow and tender into a quicker pounding and hard thrusts.

Barbara's head fell back onto Tommy's shoulder and she could feel his fingers digging into the flesh on her hips. Her own fingers moved over her breasts and between her legs onto her longing nub. She found it already covered by his hand so she only guided him how she liked it the most. Together they applied some exciting tender pressure onto her clit but it was only a short pleasure there before her resistance crumbled, letting her fall forward onto her hands again, making her bury her face in the pillow and muffle her groans while a huge wave of orgasmic shudders washed through her. It dragged him with her into the depth of this ocean and only two, three thuds into her rhythmically clenching insides he followed her under the surface of a mutual climax. With one last carnal growl he stilled and they both tensed in their final release.

* * *

This time he had the energy to get up afterwards, turn off the blaring lights and fetch a towel to rub her back oil free. And a bit more. Barbara already was half asleep when Tommy snuggled up next to her. Both whispered a final vow of love before they fell back to sleep.

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	12. Morning Misery

**A/N:** This chapter is a bit shorter, but long enough, I think...

* * *

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 **Morning Misery**

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* * *

When she woke it was still dark. Barbara pulled her arm close to her body under the duvet. Then she realised it had laid on the pillow next to her where a man should have been, at least as far as she could remember. She heard no snoring, not even breathing and according to her sleep blurred memory the lights should be on. She could not remember to have them turned off. Not even after... the third round. She blushed a bit. Had she really had three times sex with... Tommy?! Or had she just dreamed all this? She was exhausted and if she was honest she still felt extremely satisfied but obviously she was alone in her bed. Her hand felt her body with caution. Yes, she was completely naked. With one eye she peeped onto her nightstand.

[ 07:13 ] and three and an empty bottle of massage oil. She opened both eyes. She had had a massage tonight. And what a massage! She could not have dreamed all this; she definitely was a hundred percent sexually satisfied. The tentative smile died as quick as it had come onto her lips.

There was no man and there was no note. Not even on the other night stand.

Barbara groaned and closed her eyes again, trying to bury her head under her pillow. The smell of sex was lingering in the air of the small room but she was alone. There weren't any other sounds than hers, neither in the room nor in the bathroom. He was not just showering - he was gone.

"Fuck!" she swore. Since she was alone and Tommy- "Bloody Lynley!" she cursed his name - he was not here anymore. So since she was alone in the bed her benumbed mind debated with her knackered bones if she should just keep lying there or simply not get up at all today.

Finally a certain pressure made her heave herself up from the mattress and trudge the short way to her bathroom. Her clothes lay neatly folded on the drawer cabinet she had been lifted onto yesterday night in a mind-blowing storm of desire and lust.

There were none of _his_ clothes. Not even his tie. Disappointed Barbara snorted when she thought back to the moment down at the hotel bar when she had opened his fine silken piece of couture. She should not have done it. She should not have started to flirt with him. It _had_ to fail.

Not bothering if the door was open or closed - who was there to feel disturbed? - she stepped onto the cold tiles of the bathroom and went to the loo.

 _I'm a bloody old cow. And I need a good excuse to never again show up at work._ Bleary eyed and short sighted after such a heavy night and with one hand trailing along the cabinet she made the last few steps past that bathtub - never again would she imagine her boss when she masturbated, she swore - and almost slumped down on the toilet. Barbara stayed there for a while even without the need. She just did not want to move. She was exhausted and sore. Every muscle ached and reminded her that it had been a bad idea to consider His Cornish Lordship as her Highland fling. Every tendon hurt and made her curse that shitty weekend resolution to take what she could get, to take what he would give her because _what happens in Scotland_ \- she did not even want to think that thought to its end.

 _And we had not spent the tiniest thought on contraception!_

She felt nauseated.

* * *

Deep down in her toilet bag she found some aspirins against the throbbing pain behind her temples. It was not so much a hangover from the alcohol she had consumed yesterday evening, it was more the hangover from this obviously one night stand she had had with the man she had considered to be the love of her life. Like stepping through a fog she finally got up from the porcelain and walked straight under the shower. Maybe some hot water could bring back some positivity, she hoped. From the first drops on her tears were flowing. Apathetically she just soaped her skin and then just stood there, devastated and sad, waiting until the spray had rinsed her. Barbara had let her head bump against the tiles with closed eyes and just stood there a little longer. She could have stayed under the shower forever. Nobody heard her sobs so she cried her tears into the warm water until there were none left. For now.

For unrecognised five or more minutes she just stood there and dried under the turned off shower before she briefly rubbed her hair dry (or what the result could be called when you just spend less than half a minute rubbing your hair) and wrapped herself in an almost duvet-sized soft towel. Oh, yes, she would have breakfast in her room today. There was no desire to see anyone else but a waiter today. If she could avoid seeing even the waiter, it would be fine too. He could leave the tray in front of her door and go away again. She saw no real reason to come out of her room today and probably also would have some simple dinner be served up here. If she would be hungry at all during the day that is. Right at the moment she had no appetite for nothing.

"Oooh, dinner!" she whispered at her reflection in the mirror above the sink. She suddenly remembered that she had a date with the bloody... Well, she would cancel it. She just would not even call him or text him. She would just not show up in the lounge where they had wanted to meet. And she would not answer his knock at the door. And knock he would, of that Barbara was sure. He would be so bloody caring. "Yah, right... Would he? Sure?" she sarcastically asked her reflection. _If so, why had he left you here at all without any note? Why had he done this to you anyway? Some convenient bargain sex for fun with his Sarge was this... nothing more... Brilliant..._

They had been making love the entire night. Barbara had given her heart, soul and body to Tommy like she never ever had dreamed she would be able to. It had felt good, it had felt right, it had felt so wonderful and serious. Tommy had more than fulfilled her dreams multiple times tonight before they drifted into a well-deserved sleep quite early in the morning. He had said he loved her. He had said he had wanted her for so long. And that it was marvellous. And that he was happy and joyful and other bloody sentimental stuff she had believed. And now he was gone.

Red eyes answered her look full of sadness and self-pity, but most of all full of self-hatred. Maybe she should just get back to bed, hide there and never get up again until Monday.

Although on the pillow there probably still was the earthy smell of him, on the sheets still would be the heady scent of their lovemaking. To avoid any more reminders of sex in general and sex with her boss in particular Barbara considered simply curling up into a little ball of self-pity here on the bathroom floor. _Or maybe I just pack my things immediately, leave Scotland and return to London right now. Arrange to also leave the job as long as he's not there. Turn off my mobile. Not answer my doorbell. Try not to meet Winnie. Just disappear..._

Having made her decision to leave and encouraging herself with a deep breath to go on with this shitty day and check out of the hotel Barbara tore away from her miserable image in the mirror.

Life would go on...

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 **A/N:** Now that I've read it once more I'd like to say that I'm sorry...


	13. Breakfast?

**A/N:** Because I received mad messages I better post the next chapter now. Good morning! Enjoy...

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 **Breakfast?**

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* * *

"Good morning, beautiful."

* * *

She almost jumped out of her skin and had to steady herself at the rim of the sink. There in the door to her bathroom, leaning against the doorframe as if nothing wrong had happened, stood the man of whom Barbara thought to be gone and gone forever. She had not heard him coming in at all. Tommy smiled at her long and motionless stare before she finally answered.

" 'morn', Sir." Her voice was not more than a quiet shy whisper and she kept on staring at him. Still Tommy stood her long uncertain look and returned it with a firm and loving smile (and a raised eyebrow clearly commenting her 'Sir') until she added an even more quiet and more uncertain and almost asking "...Tommy...?" It made him smile broader. Happiness boiled in his insides but her eyes seemed to be red from crying and he knew there was definitely something bothering her madly. Seeing her watching him like a wounded cat ready to attack he dared not to ask aloud so he did it with only his eyes until Barbara told him that she thought that he was gone. Tommy shook his head. He had thought that last night he had made it quite clear what he wanted.

"Barbara, don't ever think that! I'll _never_ leave you. Especially not now. Not after tonight." While he slowly stepped into the bathroom towards Barbara his voice had turned softer and lower with every word. _Her_ voice though still was full of sarcastic reproach.

"Well, we haven't _talked_ very much last night, have we?"

"I'm definitely going to change that. And there actually are some very serious things I want to discuss with you."

He saw another flash of anxiety running across her face but when he was behind her and put one arm around her waist and with the other hand pushed away the wet hair from her face and her shoulder she seemed to relax a little bit.

"You've been crying." It was a statement and a question. Barbara nodded.

"Why? You really thought I've left you?" Barbara nodded and lowered her eyes. "I really, really had not wanted you to think that, Barbara. You must believe me. Please." Tommy kissed her temple from behind.

"Ok?" she croaked and almost broke out in tears again. Then she realised what she was staring at all the time. On the low shelf above the sink, right next to her own pink lady shave, stood a black and silver and very male shaving gear. How could she have missed it? "Umm...?!"

"Oh, haven't you seen it yet?" The tickling feeling of his lips on her shoulder made her shiver. His warm chest on her back made her feel every word resonating through her own when he briefly told her with soft whispered words what he had done this morning and where he already had been.

* * *

 **...**

* * *

Tommy woke to a stirring motion next to him. He immediately felt it had turned colder on his side although he was still under the duvet. She must have slept cuddled against him and now had turned. Tommy sighed full of contentment. The smell of a night full of lovemaking mixed with the familiar smell of Barbara' perfume and the still unfamiliarly _intense_ personal smell of her skin hit his nose. He stretched.

 _Ouch!_ His muscles ached, his back had creaked, and his legs were sore like he had run the entire night. The idea that he had made love the entire night made him smile. With as less moaning as he was capable of he lifted his old body and peeped at the alarm on the night stand at his side of the bed.

[ 6:48 ] and three and a lying empty bottle of massage oil. Enough time to get up without her noticing and have a surprise for her later. He put the empty bottle up and wiped the rest of the oil with the towel he had fetched in the middle of the night after the... _massage_.

Grinning about the memories Tommy carefully slipped out of bed, collected his belongings, put on his clothes from the previous day, gave the slightly snoring woman a kiss on her forehead and sneaked out of the room. The key card had been found under her panties so he quickly had folded her clothes before he had left. If she got up before he would have returned she would find them on the drawer cabinet where they almost had lost their mind yesterday night on their frantic way to her bed. She hopefully would be reminded as vividly as he had been and a smug grin graced his face while he was giving the chef in the downstairs kitchen some orders for breakfast. In his suite with the handset of the house telephone jammed between his ear and his shoulder he gave his instructions and collected his toiletries and fresh clothes in a small bag.

Then he sneaked back into Barbara's room where he distributed his belongings. She was still sleeping and did not seem to wake up soon. Watching her with an almost bursting happy heart and the prospect he would have some serious conversation with her because he had decided that they had wasted enough time and he needed to know how she felt about the idea of becoming his countess, he dreamed about a shower with her after breakfast. He already had unbuttoned half of his shirt.

Barbara turned but still did not open her eyes. Was she really sleeping? "Barbara?" he whispered but received no answer.

* * *

 _I should fetch the breakfast so we won't be disturbed by the room service._ he thought and closed his shirt again. And she probably would not want to be seen like this by a stranger - naked and so beautifully ravaged. Tommy had forgotten to give Barbara's room number so the service would bring it to Lord Asherton's suite anyway. His Lordship snickered and Barbara stirred but before he would wake her completely he would hurry to have a brief shower and put on some fresh clothes that are not his usual decent stuff which he had brought here. He left Barbara's room for the second time this morning, went once more to his own room, jumped under the spray of a hot shower for a little bit longer than he had intended to relax and after berating if he really should choose sportswear or keep to his usual slacks and shirt style he put on some sweat pants and a T-shirt. He planned to get rid of it as soon as possible anyway.

The room service boy was caught just in the exact moment when he had wanted to knock at the suite door. The tip he received from his Lordship was generous so he graciously looked away and purposely did not recognise that the breakfast obviously would not be had in the suite.

Rolling the serving cart down the corridor to the elevator Tommy dearly hoped that Barbara still was asleep so he could wake her up with the smell of coffee and a soft kiss and the rose he had picked from the bouquet the house maids had placed in his suite.

* * *

Nothing like that happened. She already was up and in the bathroom although it was dangerously quiet.

Tommy sneaked through the room and stopped leaning against the doorframe. There she stood in front of the mirror - hair still damp from a shower, body wrapped in a huge towel, her feet naked, her shoulders bare, her face... frowning? Had she been crying?

Tommy briefly watched Barbara killing herself with her own eyes before he softly spoke to her. He had smiled the entire morning and he still did.

"Good morning, beautiful."

* * *

 **...**

* * *

"I had not meant to startle you, I thought you've already had heard me coming in. I've brought breakfast..." His head nodded towards the bedroom. "...but I haven't shaved yet, you see?" His chin scratched across the naked skin of her shoulder. "Because I had thought I'd do it together with you." Barbara caught his naughty grin in the mirror. Although he was almost constantly talking her slow mind still processed that maybe he had not left _her_ after a one night stand but just had left the _room_ with the clear purpose to return. Blushing because of what she had sensed more than she really had _heard_ about shaving she met his eyes. One word still echoed in her mind.

"Breakfast?" she croaked.

"Yes. Fresh coffee to start the day, toast and butter and marmalade." he grinned. This was a permanent joke between them since one special day. "And champagne and a special surprise. But as I see it now... breakfast surely can wait." Tommy's voice had turned into a whisper and he moved another inch closer so he was pressing Barbara against the sink and his groin into her back. "We have the rest of our life to share breakfast. Right now I want to show you how much I love you, Barbara."

"Tommy..." Barbara felt him loosening the towel and watched in the mirror how he let it glide slowly towards the floor. She did not stop it. But still... "We can't-"

"Oh, yes!" His hands were softly covering her breasts while he nibbled at her earlobe. Barbara felt the anxiety flying away, a swarm of butterflies landing on her stomach, resistance fading and a certain buzz between her legs. How was this possible? He had changed her mood within minutes. Was he even aware of her fears?

"Tommy, you can't just have..." That she was upset was clear with every word. "...such a night with someone, then... just _leave_ and then simply come back and pick up the thread you've dumped some time ago!"

Tommy locked eyes with her. "Barbara?" Patiently he waited to have her attention, waited for a reaction. It came a bit _im_ patient.

"Yes, what?!"

"I have _not_ left you!" he firmly said. "I didn't _dump_ any thread. I simply got up earlier than you, showered and fetched some breakfast to surprise you!"

"Yes, but-" This time he did not let her finish her stupid objections because this time Tommy just grabbed her shoulders and turned her so he could tenderly invade her lips and emphasise his unwillingness to leave her.

* * *

Although it was a bit unfair that she was unshielded and vulnerably naked and he still in his sweat pants and T-shirt Tommy made sure that he was looking in her face and speaking to her and not her body when he told her that he was terribly sorry that it had looked like he had sneaked out of the room and left her alone but he _really, really, really_ had not intended to leave her. He placed his hands on her cheeks and gave her another soft and reassuring kiss. "In fact I had intended to fetch us a romantic breakfast for two, sneak back under the duvet and wake up my princess with a kiss, a rose and some coffee so we can talk about how we'll go on from this point. I am so happy, and what I've told you yesterday in the heat of our..." Tommy blushed a little bit. "... _awakening_ and well, the other times I was able to form clear words, it was the _truth_. I love you, Barbara Havers, I have for years. This was no one-night stand, this will be no weekend affair. I am not going to leave you and I intend on showing it to you for the rest of my life which I dearly want to share with you. I _was_ and still _am_ so happy that you mirror my feelings."

Her eyes had gone wide and wider but since she only had listened and not said a single word suddenly a bit of anxiety crept into _his_ mind. "You _do_ mirr-?"

Barbara kissed him. This had been too much text in the morning anyway without having had a coffee yet, so yes, she just showed him how deeply she mirrored his feelings. How this crazy complicated thing that had unfolded itself before them would go on could be discussed after breakfast. Later.

And there was definitely too much cloth covering his body. His T-shirt joined her towel on the bathroom floor.

* * *

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 **A/N:** All better? ;-D


	14. A Splishing And A Splashing

**A/N:** For a certain reason only she knows this one is for Cats, whose constant nagging also kept me writing and posting :-D

Anyway enjoy...

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 **A Splishing And A Splashing**

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Tommy was forced to make a step backwards to keep him standing upright, so strong was the impact of Barbara pressing her body on his. She kissed him deep. Her tongue did not even bother to creep in, it straight shot into his mouth and only stopped at his palate, almost hooking around his tongue and trying to pull it into her own mouth. Her hands already made quick work with his T-shirt and they only paused the kiss for a little bit of breath and to pull the shirt over his head. For a moment he was caught in the sleeves and had to help himself because Barbara did not bother but already roamed across his chest with delicately warm fingers.

She found the waistband of his sweatpants very quickly and the discovery that he wore nothing underneath made her give an approving moan. It had been a bit thrilling and he had felt exposed when he had sneaked across the corridors from his to her room. Barbara pulled the pants straight down and grabbed his buttocks. Pulling him closer against her abdomen she was rewarded with a strong piece of Tommy. The contact made him shiver in a new need to feel her, so for a really short time his hands left her bare back to push down his legwear completely. Barbara pulled him close to her again. She needed to feel him, needed to feel that he was back, needed to feel that he had not left her.

Somehow she felt that they were moving their place. Tommy steered her backwards and together they stumbled into the shower cubicle.

"Do we need a second shower?" she breathlessly asked with a coquettish look upwards. Her hands softly stroked his growing manhood. He liked that. Definitely.

" _You_ do, dirty girl." he growled into her ear. In her back his hands already were searching for the water tap.

The first spray of water was cool and both almost jumped to the side when it hit them. Tommy turned it down immediately and slightly hotter but it had made Barbara burst into a fit of giggles. It quickly died when she felt Tommy tenderly lathering her skin. She also put some soap on his shoulders but could not really concentrate on her task since his hands felt so good, softly stroking every inch of her, soapily gliding across every part he could reach while they still kissed each other. The kiss had turned soft and teasingly light but it was even more boding than the strong fight their tongues had had one moment ago.

When Tommy had finished caressing her shoulders, her breasts, her stomach, her hip and upper thighs, her unshaved pubic mound - which had made her stop breathing but he had not gone deeper - he softly directed Barbara to turn around so he could reach her backside. With her lower arms she supported herself against the tiles. Soft moans she could not suppress approved of his soft shoulder massage with his penis pressing between her bottom cheeks.

"You feel that?" he rasped into her ear.

"Oh, yes!" A grin spread across her face which she had turned to see his. A smug grin accompanied his "Wonderful!" and the gentle lifting of her left leg. He directed his erection towards her entrance. This would be a straight thing like that of yesterday evening.

"Do we want to desecra- aaah!" Standing only on one foot Barbara had slipped a bit sideward and while he had tried to steady her Tommy also slipped.

When a second try failed Barbara nervously laughed. "This won't work, Sir." she said blushing.

Tommy grinned. "Then you better turn, Havers." After she had turned he whispered on her lips that she should - for heaven's sake - call him Tommy. They kissed again, this time properly deep and decently pressing their soaped bodies against each other.

"Yah, feels good." Barbara moaned. Tommy had changed the angle and now his groin pressed upwards against her longing parts. He had pushed his manhood forward so it now was gliding between her folds but not yet entering her.

To make this happen, Tommy had to change the position again. The best would be that he lifted her and pushed her against the wall, he thought. While trying to do so there was a lot of killing good friction of his length across her wetness but somehow the tiles were too cold so Barbara cringed with her entire back against them, and the ground was too slippery with soap not yet rinsed away with the little bit of water that came from above and Tommy just could not get her lifted up. A mixture of delighted moans, startled shrieks, annoyed curses and a lot of slipping, sliding, chuckling and giggling that rose to laughter filled her bathroom.

"Oh, fuck!" he finally swore and hit the tiles with his fist. Barbara never would have believed that His Lordship could say the F-word but he actually did. She had to giggle. Tommy never would have thought she would do this girlish thing but she actually did. Almost constantly. This was ridiculous. He loved that she even could make him laugh in such a situation.

"Not quite, huh?" she laughed. "Fuck, I mean."

Tommy pressed his lips on hers. "I'll give you a fuck, my lady." he roared with mischievously grinning eyes and rolling hips against hers.

"Oh, I hope so." Now Barbara laughed really loud but when Tommy pressed his hard-on against her needy nub once more, her laughter turned into a groan. "You really _should_!"

Another feverish kiss emptied their lungs from all oxygen. Hands roamed bodies again, loins were pressed flush, skin glided across skin.

"Let's get out of here or I'll forget myself and we'll break our bones." Tommy panted. As if to emphasise his words Barbara lost her steady stand again and she slid a bit downwards with her back against the wall. It made her snorfl.

Rolling his eyes Tommy just turned and left the cubicle. Barbara turned off the water and followed.

Outside he grabbed a towel and turned to her. She could not take her eyes from the soldier standing between them, tall and strong. "Mmmh." she approved. Without looking up she wanted to take the towel but Tommy unfolded it and started to dry her. She did the same with him a moment later but both were rather ineffective. They just started conscientiously and soon it ended in soft touches, first with, then, after tossing them away, without towels.

Fingertips wandered across their skins until their eyes met and their lips too. There still was something that needed to be finished.

Tommy lifted her onto the edge of the low cabinet behind her where he had tossed his towel. The cabinet had just the right height for them.

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They locked their eyes. Despite all the laughter and giggling under the shower there still was sexual desire burning in her green orbs. Apart from all his futile efforts to make love to her under the shower there still was a lustful craving in his almost black marbles.

Tommy had a broad smirk on his face while his hands slid along her thighs, around her waist, up her back and across her shoulder blades into the hair in the back of her head, thus moving his body closer to hers thus closing the distance between her soft cave and his hard shaft.

During this Barbara had opened her legs and snaked them around his thighs. With her hands on his upper arms she kept herself upright but when his hands had reached her back she could loosen the grip and encircle his neck. Her ankles crossed behind his back in the moment their eyes closed and their lips met open mouthed.

Just the tip of her tongue tenderly played with its opponent and their lower bodies met. Lifting her slightly he slid into her slow and gentle.

A voiceless moan breathed into his mouth before he slid halfway out and then back into her again. This time deeper, slowly adjusting him into her. And then a bit back out.

"Tommy!" she breathed onto his lips without opening her eyes. He was torturing her. She moved closer and took his entire length in. This time he moaned. Barbara straightened her back and pressed herself against him. Her clit rubbed across his root. His right hand grabbed her bottom cheek and clenched it. She gave him a hard time not to just start thrusting in and out of her like his cock wanted so badly.

"Barbara!" he sighed.

"Don't stop!" Barbara almost wailed onto his lips. The entire foreplay under the shower, as ridiculous and unfulfilling it was, had left her wanting him profoundly. "I want to feel that you are here."

"I _am_ here." she heard his low voice and felt him thrusting into her softly but a little harder than before. "I am here with you."

One more even another bit harder thrust was accompanied by her moan. "I appreciate that." she breathed with still closed eyes. Feeling her inner muscles tightening Tommy moved his length a bit out of her.

"Come closer!" she ordered. Her legs pulled his still growing dick back fully inside. "Harder please, I can't stand this bloody sl- oooowww." He gave her a heavy thrust and she groaned.

It was a very soft and gentle but quite short encounter.

During her climax she felt him stilling his thrusts knowing he had kept himself back to be on the same level like her. When all her inner muscles had clenched around his manhood he did not have to hold it back anymore. Barbara had arched and let her head fall back, then had bowed and kissed him fiercely before she had reached her final peak, had let her forehead thump onto his shoulder and had groaned loud in the exact time he had let go of his restrictions and after a couple of hard thrusts he had come apart in her.

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Her legs were still around his waist, her arms still in his nape, his hands still in her back and their faces close with lips softly touching. Both were still heavily breathing so they did not kiss deep but not less intense.

Barbara was the first to speak. Once again the lack of contraception had come to her mind.

"Gosh, Tommy..." she whispered. "...one day we should _think_ before we..." Her voice trailed off.

"Fuck?" Tommy whispered in her ear with a very naughty grin.

"Well, I would prefer a different term, your Lordship." Barbara smiled a kiss onto his shoulder.

"Like... making out?" He was not at all in a serious mood. "What about shagging?"

"Is this just a shag for you?" Barbara looked concerned.

"Well, firstly, not 'just', and secondly, the 'doing it' actually is very shaggy." Finally they chuckled and fell into a deep kiss. "But seriously, doing it with you, even here like impatient teenagers..." Barbara snorted about that. They were nothing but teenagers and she doubted that teenagers would do it as skilled as he was and they definitely would not be as adultishly exhausted as she felt. She said it. "Yes, but... it's so... wonderful. Wonderfully different, so tender and impatient and gently loving ...strong! And so heavenly fulfilling."

After he had done a quick cleaning en passant Tommy crept closer again now and gave Barbara another gentle kiss.

"Anyway..." she started again. She _had_ to talk about it. "...next time we should think about contraception, you know."

Staying serious was not easy when his nose and his lips so nicely tickled her throat. Without leaving the spot he was working on Tommy whispered "Neither is this the moment nor the place to discuss this, I know, but I intend to think about contraception only after we'd be happily married for many years and already would have produced at least three little Lords or Ladies, my love."

Sudden sobriety kicked into her brain. Was he saying...?! "What?!"

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The following argument, during which Tommy scooped her up in his arms eventually and carried her to the bed under her loud but at that point only just half-hearted protest, ended very much later, almost at noon, in a contentedly grinning heap of happily exhausted limbs, a crumpled duvet and sweaty wet sheets. Not to mention the bread crumbs sticking to their wet skins, the half fed buttered toasts with marmalade on the nightstand and the leaked piccolo of champagne lying on the floor next to the bed.

"We actually should work on our communication style." Tommy laughed. "If we go on discussing serious matters this way I'll be worn out in half a year."

"Ah, shut up, old man." Barbara mumbled and grinned into his armpit. "I love you."

"I love you too."

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Before Tommy followed Barbara into a nice slumber he thought that he had to call his mother later and thank her for sending him to this wonderful first-class hotel in Scotland.

Besides he had to tell her about their engagement.

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 **A/N:** This was the last chapter to A Chance Meeting. They met (multiple times so) and that was the aim. I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks for all your reviews, especially for the reviews by those who only read in secret and usually never leave reviews. Also thanks for the inspirations and ideas you've sent via other messages.

Tess


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